Broken
by rozukitsune
Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.
1. Tomoeda High

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

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(Chapter 1: Tomoeda High)

_Briiiing_

The small pink alarm clock was one of the few things that hadn't changed in Sakura Kinomoto's bedroom over the last few years. The 16 year old turned over in her bed and reached over to smack the offensive object so that it'd stop making such a racket.

"Sakura! Wake up!" Squealed a small yellow plush-like creature as it fluttered over to her.

"Five more minutes Kero." The auburn-haired girl responded as she rolled over to avoid the sound of his voice.

An annoyed frown found it's way onto the tiny guardian's face, "SAKURA GET UP!" He shouted causing the girl to sit up in annoyance.

"What could you possibly want that can't wait five minutes?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"You're going to be late!" He said, pointing at the tiny clock.

Sakura's emerald eyes scanned the metallic instrument for a moment before she shrieked and dived out of her bed.

"Arg! Kero why didn't you wake me up sooner!" She cried frantically, trying in vain to grab everything she needed to wear.

The yellow guardian sighed, "I tried..."

His words went unnoticed by the young woman as she snatched her brush from the shelf and began running it through her shoulder-length hair, which she'd been allowing to grow.

After assessing her appearance for a moment she grabbed all of her school supplies which, overnight, had managed to get themselves scattered all across her room, shoved them into her pink backpack with miniature wings on it (a bigger version of the one she'd had in elementary school), and dashed out of the room with her socks and shoes in hand.

----

"Good morning!" She greeted cheerily as she made her way to the table, her father just having finished setting down that mornings breakfast. Which, as she noticed it, turned out to be eggs, bacon, and toast.

"Late morning." Responded her, ever self-absorbed older brother. Who, though had a perfect life being a doctor and a perfect partner with Yukito, still found the time to come over once in a while for breakfast and tease her.

"It's _good_ morning." She responded with an annoyed glare, though inwardly she appreciated the familiar taunt more than she'd ever let him know. After all, she saw her elder brother only once or twice a month, and somehow it made her feel like he hadn't forgotten her in all his time away.

Touya just grinned back and wiped his face. "Well... it was nice having breakfast with you, monster... I guess I'll be going off to work now." He said rising to his feet.

"What really? You're leaving so soon?" Sakura asked in a whiny tone of voice, forgetting for the moment that he'd just insulted her.

"If you had woken up earlier you could have spent more time with me, but I guess your big brother's not as important as your beauty sleep. And honestly, if I looked like you, I'd sleep as much as I could." He said casually, grabbing his coat from the rack.

That time he'd found a weak spot, Sakura's face contorting with rage. "You, big... MEANY!" She shrieked at him, glaring as hard as she could.

"To-ya, are you being mean to Sakura?" Asked a soft, lilting voice from just on the other side of the door.

Immediately Sakura's face lit up and she rushed past her older brother who had opened the door just enough for her to get through.

"Yukito!" She chirped happily as she gave him a huge hug.

"Good morning, Sakura." He replied with his usual gentle smile.

Touya grinned as the two friends hugged, stepping out of the house. "Now... don't you owe me an apology?" He asked curiously.

Sakura turned to him and stuck out her tongue. "No! You're the one that insulted me!" She said, burying her face in Yukito's shirt.

"Now, now Sakura... you know To-ya didn't mean it. That's just his way of showing his feelings." Yukito said with a smile, gently pushing her off of him.

Sakura sighed and nodded, turning to glance at Touya who didn't quite manage to hide his grin. "Yeah, I know... I just wish he weren't so mean all the time. See you guys later I guess, I'm going to be so late!" She squealed as she glanced at the watch Yukito had given her all those years ago.

"Have a nice day Sakura!" Yukito called after her.

"Try not to break everything once you get there, monster!" Touya jeered, earning himself an annoyed glare from the quickly retreating Sakura.

"You should really be nicer to your sister To-ya. She's the only one you've got you know." Yukito muttered quietly as Sakura disappeared from view.

Touya slung an arm around his lover's shoulders. "Relax Yuki... she knows I don't mean anything by it."

----

The teenager roller-bladed down the avenue, passing up pretty houses on the right and big tree's on the left that were in the full bloom of spring-time.

A lot had really changed about Sakura Kinomoto in the last 5 years. She'd finally become old enough to date her boyfriend Syaoran Li, a boy from Hong Kong who had come to Japan many years ago in order to capture the clow cards and instead had managed to capture her heart.

Her body too had changed, turning from runty little girl, as her brother loved to remind her, to beautiful young woman. She smiled reminiscently as she recalled the day her best friend, Tomoyo Daidouji, had suggested she allow her hair to grow out so that she'd have more of it to play with.

Speaking of which...

"Sakura!" Called the voice of the 16 year old teenager. Her long violet hair caught up in a bun today. She waved excitedly as Sakura skated up to the high school, removing her roller blades and replacing them in her backpack for her regular shoes.

"You were late this morning weren't you." Tomoyo smiled as she observed her friends haphazard appearance.

"Do I really look that bad?" Sakura replied, running a hand through her auburn hair.

Tomoyo chuckled and led her into the nearest girl's bathroom and did some quick fixing.

When the two emerged, Sakura was looking decidedly less out of order and the two quickly began to chatter about the latest gossip.

----

A tall brunet with neatly-combed chocolate-brown hair had his matching eyes trained intensely upon the entrance to the classroom.

Those around him failed to notice the amazingly intensive stare he was giving that piece of wood at the moment. It was as though he and the door were having their own personal staring contest... and he was winning.

Suddenly the door gave in... or rather it opened, revealing the two most popular girls at Tomoeda High. Not that the brunet cared whether they were popular or not... the only thing that mattered to him was that one of them happened to be his girlfriend.

"Good morning Syaoran!" Sakura greeted enthusiastically from the door as she entered, making her way over to the now-smiling brunet.

"Good morning Sakura." He replied pulling her into a gentle hug as she came within his reach.

Sakura breathed in his scent as she laid her head against his chest for the moment, returning the hug and squeezing a bit. "Welcome back." She muttered quietly.

Syaoran had to periodically return to Hong Kong to check up on his family once every half a year. Sakura supposed that it was only fair to give him up for a week so that he could make sure they were all still eating properly, but she still missed him terribly whenever he left. One of these days he promised her he'd take her with him, and she just couldn't wait for that day to come.

"I've missed you." He whispered in return, lightly running his fingers along her back, sending sensations of warmth up her spine.

"And I you." She replied drawing her head up at last to smile at him brightly.

Syaoran leaned forward to kiss her, but at the last moment both of them sensed they were being watched and turned to glare at Tomoyo who had her camera out and was recording them with stars in her eyes.

"Go on! Pretend like I'm not even here!" Tomoyo said waving a hand at them.

The two rolled their eyes in unison, and smiling kissed each other shortly, silently promising each other a better one later when there were alone.

"Kawaii." Tomoyo sighed contentedly.

"Alright class take your seats." Said their teacher as she entered the room. Everyone hurried to their desks and readied themselves for the lesson of the day.

"Now class, today a new exchange student will be joining us." The teacher said to the class. The students immediately began whispering amoungst themselves with excitement wondering who this mistery student.

Sakura grinned widely, she just loved in when new students found there way into her class.

Syaoran frowned in contrast, not liking the idea of another new student after the last time there'd been a new student in his class 5 years ago. Although... that other student hadn't turned out to be that bad after all. Just a little... bizarre.

The class turned their attention to the front of the room as the door opened revealing the mystery student.

Sakura and Tomoyo both gasped while Syaoran found himself glowering in annoyance.

Sauntering into the room was none other than the enchanting Englishman himself.

Sakura stared at the young man who casually stepped in front of the classroom, his shoulder-length midnight-blue hair framing his face. His bangs brushed barely far enough to the side to avoid hiding his ocean-blue eyes which were already hiding behind a decidedly more fashionable pair of eyeglass-wear than he was notorious for back in elementary school.

A collective sigh could be heard from the almost the entire female class population.

The teenager simply smiled, bowing respectfully to them, and winking impishly in Sakura's direction.

"Eriol!" She squealed happily, causing Syaoran to glare at him.

The teacher glanced over at Sakura in surprise, "It appears that some of you already know this bright young man." She almost asked.

Sakura stood and bowed appologetically. "Yes ma'am... he transfered into my class in elementary school as well."

"Ah. Well then, I suppose you'll have no trouble fitting right back in Hiiragizawa." The teacher smiled.

"As for the rest of you that weren't fortunate enough to be in that class at the time, this is Eriol Hiiragizawa. He has transferred here from England and I expect you to be on your best behavior." She said, her no-nonsense stare calming some of the girls who had been simply drooling up until that point.

----

"It is so good to see you again!" Tomoyo said thoughtfully as the four of them ate their lunch together. Eriol offered her a cheerful smile. "I am honored to know that you missed me during my absense." He said, referring both to her and to Sakura.

"It was so boring around here without you." Sakura agreed fondly, chewing happily on her sandwich.

"What exactly are you up to this time four-eyes?" Syaoran said, his childhood dislike of the man not entirely extinguished even though he knew that it had been unfounded.

Eriol turned to stare at Syaoran, his amused gaze causing the boy to reconsider his words. "Now, now Syaoran... haven't you gotten over that yet?" He asked in a hurt tone of voice, though his smile never wavered.

Syaoran looked down in embarrassment, wondering himself why he hadn't given up that silly grudge after these years. Suddenly he felt a gentle tug from beside him.

He glanced over to see Sakura looking at him kindly. "It's ok. Just put it behind you... we can trust Eriol now." She said with a smile.

Syaoran couldn't help but smile, "You're right." The brunet turned to Eriol who was staring at him expectantly.

"Sorry Eriol... old prejudices die hard." Syaoran apologized.

Eriol beamed at him. "It's quite alright Syaoran."

The two teenagers shook hands heartily and it was settled that they were friends.

The rest of lunch passed in a much more comfortable atmosphere than when it had started.

----

**Yay... at long last they reconciled... to bad it's not going to last long... **

**-slaps a hand over her mouth- Woops.**

**rozu**


	2. New enemies?

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

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(Chapter 2: New... enemies?)

"Hey everyone... come and look here!" Tomoyo called over to Sakura and the others the next day at school. She was standing in front of the bulletin board just outside of the lunchroom and was pointing at a large black poster with the familiar picture of a white mask and red rose beneath it.

"It says here on this poster that the drama club is presenting Phantom of the Opera this year. Why don't we try out?" She bubbled enthusiastically as Sakura and the two boys perused the poster.

"I dunno Tomoyo... I'm not much of an actor." Syaoran muttered.

"Sure you are Syaoran! Don't you remember the wonderful job you did as the princess in Sleeping Beauty? Or the prince in that play that Naoko wrote?" Tomoyo prodded, her eyes shining like stars as she stared at him.

"Uh... well, I guess I could try out." He said compromisingly, never being one to say no to that, sometimes evil, smile of hers, which she beamed at him graciously at his acceptance.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah sure, why not?" She agreed, after all she just loved being on the stage.

"Eriol?"

"Wait a minute... why are you asking me?" Eriol asked in surprise, never before having been included in their activities before.

Tomoyo turned her sparkling eyes upon him. "Oh but Eriol, I'm so sure you would be absolutely perfect as the Phantom! You're already so dashing and mysterious. But if you don't want to try..." She started to tear up.

"No! No... the part of the phantom does sound too perfect for me. Of course I'll try out." He assured her, returning the smile to her face.

"Excellent." She beamed happily and lead the foursome to a table in the lunch area to sit. Syaoran sighed quietly at his weakness while Sakura babbled happily with Tomoyo and Eriol about what she would use for an audition piece. Eriol, for his part, was feeling very honored that he was being included in any of it.

----

It was later in the afternoon, when school had finished for the day, that Sakura glanced around her warily. Feeling for the first time in years that something... just wasn't quite right.

"Syaoran... do you feel something... strange?" She asked quietly so that Tomoyo and Eriol couldn't hear her.

Syaoran looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. "Yeah..." He replied, focusing his aura to try to figure out where the feeling was coming from.

Eriol's eyes diverted from Tomoyo for a moment and he paused in mid-step, almost causing her to bump into him.

"Eriol... is everything alright?" Tomoyo asked him curiously.

"I think, Tomoyo, that perhaps we should retire to my mansion temporarily. It would be safer for you there." He replied softly, taking her hand and pulling her gently, yet urgently, away.

Meanwhile Syaoran and Sakura didn't seem to even notice their absence intent on trying to find their new enemy.

Suddenly the forest to the right of them burst into flames, and the two of them turned toward it without a seconds pause.

Sakura removed the key from around her neck, calling forth her star staff from it's tiny form.

"Watery!" Sakura called, pulling out her card.

"Water come to my aid!" Syaoran said only a second after her, pulling out an ofuda and striking his sword against it, causing the power of water to come gushing out.

Their power combined quelled the flames before they got too far into the forest and a woman with bright red hair appeared nearby looking rather annoyed.

"So card mistress... we finally meet! Look upon the person who will become your ultimate demise!" She laughed insanely, gathering unconvinced raised eyebrows from both teenagers.

"So you don't believe me? Then die!" She cried out angrily, sending out columns of flame at them. Within seconds the fight was over, the redhead sitting on the concrete soaking wet.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" She wailed, disappearing in a blaze of fire.

Sakura and Syaoran exchanged amused glances.

"I wonder what that was all about..." Sakura laughed.

"Yeah." Syaoran agreed, unable to stop himself from grinning as well. That battle had gone extremely well. Perhaps too well.

"We shouldn't let down our guard though, just in case it turns out she's more powerfull than she looks." Syaoran admonished.

"Indeed." Eriol said, reappearing behind them with Tomoyo in tow who seemed to be still trying to figure out how they'd gotten to his mansion and back so fast.

"Well, see you guys tomorrow at the auditions!" Tomoyo said, turning to head to her house.

Eriol smiled after her then turned to the other two. "I must be going as well. See you tomorrow." He said then turned back in the direction he'd come from.

Sakura and Syaoran waved to the two of them then walked the rest of the way home.

After a while however, it seemed that as far as they walked, they weren't getting anywhere.

Sakura blinked as she recognized passing the same street they'd already been through.

"We seem to be walking in circles." Syaoran voiced, looking only vaguely annoyed.

"Yeah... I wonder if the woman is doing this." She agreed, drawing out her staff again.

"Can you get out of my maze alive?" Asked a disembodied... but clearly male voice.

"Guess not." Syaoran replied to Sakura, looking around as the familiar street vanished replaced by the walls of a labyrinth.

Once again with the help of a combination of both of their magic they easily found their way back to Tomoeda.

"Curse you card mistress." Muttered the voice before vanishing entirely.

Sakura sweat dropped, "Oh well, I did say I was getting bored..."

Syaoran grinned, "You should be more careful of what you wish for..."

----

**rozu**


	3. Brains and Brawn

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 3: Brains and brawn)

A young man with long black hair that framed his face stared into a crystal ball that served as his portal to Tomoeda. He was replaying events from earlier that afternoon when his brilliant plan to forever trap the card mistress had backfired. He considered her for a while, then chose to rewind a bit further, examining the red headed woman who was also, apparently, trying to make trouble for the auburn headed teenager.

"It appears I am not the only one seeking the powers of the cards… but if she and I are truly like-minded… then perhaps I should lend out the proverbial olive branch. She may well have some powers that I can make use of." He sneered.

-----

The next afternoon the auditions for the play were held. Each of the students that desired a part in the play were required to pick from a hat where bits of paper with times written on them were to be chosen. These times would dictate to the students when to return to audition. The idea was that when the bits of paper ran out, the day would be over, and so would the auditions. Each student was given fifteen minutes to audition. Five minutes would be for the students to sing any song of their choice to prove their singing abilities, five would involve a dance instructor observing to see if they could handle choreography, and the final five would be set aside for cold reading from the actual script if they passed the first two tests.

The drama teacher, choir teacher, and dance instructor sat in a panel below the stage and watched as one student after another crossed the stage and performed their piece. Some students were immediately asked if they would consider working the stage itself instead of being in the play, the rest were split up between those that would be getting called back and those who would be in the chorus but not a special part.

Sakura found her way onto the stage later in the evening. Her, Syaoran, and Eriol, had all managed to get times one after the other, and Sakura was first of the three. She nervously blinked at the three rather bored looking teachers and squinted into the bright stage lights that were all focused on her.

She shuffled a bit and coughed as she tried to shove her nerves out of her system. A glance to the side revealed Tomoyo with her usual camcorder in hand, giving her a thumbs up. Sakura sweat-dropped but felt slightly more at ease with Tomoyo standing nearby. She turned her attention back to the teachers who were seriously considering asking her to join the stage crew just as she began to sing. The choir teacher rose out of her daze slightly as Sakura's voice slowly filled the small theater, singing a song that Tomoyo had helped her practice only hours before. The dance instructor watched the choir teacher scribble Sakura's name in the call back's column and got ready to get out of his chair to run her through the practice dance routine.

Being a cheerleader was in Sakura's favor at this point because she was very limber and had no trouble keeping up with him. When the instructor returned and checked her name it was the drama teacher's turn to hand Sakura the script and have her read from one of the lead parts.

At the end of the fifteen minutes, Sakura had secured a spot on the call-backs list along with five other girls for the part of Kristine.

Next was Syaoran who, instead of looking nervous, looked annoyed at best. At the very least however, he was less annoyed now than before, hearing Sakura sing had calmed him a little. His slight frown didn't deter the drama teacher from looking interested though. As soon as Syaoran had walked onto the stage the image of the perfect Raoul had appeared in her head. Syaoran's mediocre but flawless performance did not deter her from writing his name on the call-backs list and drawing a small star next to his name despite the choir teacher's objections that there had been plenty of better singers than him previously.

The drama teacher's momentary star-studded haze was immediately cooled when Eriol took his place on the stage. Syaoran was forgotten in Eriol's stage presence. Even before he had said a word the three teachers were thoroughly impressed by him. His short performance left each of them spellbound and even the dance instructor, after his brief attempt at teaching Eriol the practice dance routine, felt he could learn something from the teenager.

After Eriol exited all three of the teachers unanimously decided that Eriol was far more deserving of the part of Raoul. The drama teacher settled for writing Syaoran down as the Phantom instead.

----

The next day at school the results of the auditions were posted up on the wall. Tomoyo cheered happily when she discovered that the three of them had all made callbacks. "Oh this is just wonderful! I can just see it now. Eriol as the mysterious phantom and Syaoran as the dashing Raoul! And Sakura-chan of course will be Kristine!" She squealed happily.

Eriol looked rather thoughtful as he observed the piece of paper. "You do realize Tomoyo… that both the Phantom and Raoul are love interests in this play." He mentioned idly, watching out of the corner of his eye to see what Syaoran's reaction would be. He was not disappointed.

"Wait a minute…! Tomoyo you never told me that!" Syaoran blasted, his face immediately turning red from anger. Tomoyo simply beamed innocently. Syaoran whipped around to face Eriol. "You knew it all along didn't you? You planned this!"

"Syaoran, honestly. You really need to relax." Eriol defended, throwing his hands up in surrender.

Syaoran's face regained its color, but the anger didn't quite leave. "You have to go and tell the teachers that you'd rather be in crew!"

"But Syaoran…" Tomoyo cried.

"No, Tomoyo. There's no way I'm going to be ok with Sakura pretending to be in love with _him_ half the time!" Syaoran interrupted, crossing his arms and giving her a no-nonsense glare.

"But surely, Syaoran… you know that in the end of the play Kristine chooses Raoul over the phantom. In fact… she doesn't ever really love the phantom… but in the beginning she is under his spell and only believes that she does." Eriol explains coolly.

Syaoran chews over this thoughtfully and relaxes his stance a bit. "She chooses Raoul in the end?" He asks for clarification.

"But of course." Eriol beamed.

"Well… alright then." Syaoran caved, deciding that it wouldn't be so bad since Sakura would end up with him and not Eriol in the end.

----

"Absolutely out of the question!" Syaoran stormed after they had received their parts for call backs. Even Tomoyo looked mildly surprised.

"I was so sure they'd choose Eriol for the Phantom…" She muttered quietly.

Inwardly the entire scenario had Eriol laughing. When they had gotten to the call backs the teachers had swept himself and Syaoran to the side, telling them immediately their roles. Syaoran could have literally destroyed the entire theater with his anger if it hadn't been for a quick dose of drowsing magic on Eriol's behalf. He, of course, had a hard time thinking up a good reason why Syaoran had fallen asleep so suddenly, but it appeared that 'a long night of studying' had been good enough of an excuse.

Sakura was too busy trying to help calm Syaoran to be happy that she had indeed received the part of Kristine Daeé, the lead role.

After they'd been given their scripts and excused, Eriol released his spell upon Syaoran as soon as they'd cleared the school and mentally sat back to watch the fireworks.

"Tomoyo, we're going back to those teachers and insisting that they either switch us or that we're not going to be in the play." He fumed angrily.

"Syaoran… if you would only listen for a few moments, you might learn something. Like the fact that I already took care of that." Eriol muttered, wondering if the brunet had heard him as he continued to carry on about how Eriol must have done something to make them choose him.

Although it was in Eriol's nature to be sadistic at times… he'd realized back in the theater that Syaoran would be absolutely furious with him if he'd allowed the teachers to do as they pleased. And although it might have been hilarious to force Syaoran into being the phantom whether he liked it or not, Eriol found the idea of world war III not as appealing and told the teachers that he'd much rather be the phantom than Raoul. Though the teachers had not been particularly keen on his wishes, they'd decided that they'd rather give him what he wanted than not have him in the play at all.

"Syaoran…" Sakura muttered, finally getting his attention. The brunet's fuse ran out at the sound of her voice and he turned to her, setting his anger aside momentarily to hear what she had to say.

"Eriol already told them that he preferred you to be Raoul." She said gently.

"What?" He blinked in surprise, glancing over to the dark mage who was merely watching him with an amused look on his face.

"Why would you do that?" He asked suspiciously.

Eriol shrugged, "I really did want to be the phantom. Besides… even though it is _only_ a play… since it means so much to you to be with her in the end I simply had to oblige you." He replied with a small smile.

Syaoran looked unconvinced but accepted the first statement as a plausible truth and nodded. "Sorry then…" He muttered.

Eriol beamed, "Not at all. My day simply would not be complete if you weren't angry with me at least once."

Syaoran returned Eriol's statement with another glare, and a stuck-out tongue to dig it in further.

Eriol merely smiled in response.

"You two will never change." Sakura sighed in exasperation, causing Tomoyo to giggle.

----

**rozu**


	4. Uneasy silence

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

Author's Note: Gomen nasai minna-san! I've been gone for far too long! I promise I'll never ditch you for so long ever again… well, I'll try not to.

– To everyone that has replied to this story and has asked me whether Sakura ends up with Eriol… well, first I'd like to point out that as the author, I'm not allowed to tell you. :P Secondly, I try to let my characters decide the story for themselves… I honestly have no idea how I'm going to end this just now, so even I am in suspense. Hope that helps. XD

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 4: Uneasy silence)

The next few weeks followed fairly quietly, the first days of after school practice where the four friends hung out. The day when Meilin came, was filled with tears and laughter, then somehow she managed to get into the play as a stage hand. As the school year dragged on, however, something strange started happening.

Sakura and Syaoran began to argue, over small and seemingly meaningless things at first, like who forgot someone's birthday, and who else burned the cookies on purpose. Who was late for dinner and who was too much of a crybaby. Tomoyo and Meilin in particular found themselves fussing over the two more than usual, trying to figure out just what had happened.

Eriol, for his part, was left out of the loop. As it was he'd begun as an outsider in their little quartet, and thusly didn't really notice the silence that seemed to surround him. He found plenty of time for practicing with his music and drama instructor, mostly for their benefit, and keeping track of his other assignments as well. Although he would, of course, have preferred to be invited to hang out with the gang, it didn't really bother him much that they were too busy with their own affairs to remember to invite him along. A time or two Ruby Moon and Spinel asked him why he wasn't out enjoying himself, but he assured them that once everything had settled down between Syaoran and Sakura that they'd invite him to join them again.

A few days later, Eriol was sitting on the grass in the small, forest-like, area of the school reserved usually for lunch time or art classes. He was enjoying a picnic underneath the shady sakura tree's when suddenly the sound of a girl's crying broke the peaceful silence. Curious, Eriol packed his lunch away and got to his feet, heading towards the sound.

He was almost surprised to find Sakura curled up in a small corner, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Sakura?" He asked softly, kneeling down beside her and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, "Eriol…" She cried and practically threw herself into his arms. Shocked for possibly the first time in his life, he cautiously wrapped his arms more comfortingly around her small waist, stroking her shoulder blades and encouraging her to lean into him, which she did, burying her face in his shirt.

He narrowed his eyes worriedly. "Sakura… what happened?" He asked softly, continuing the soothing motion with his fingers.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve before glancing up at him, his magic working quickly to slow her tears. "Oh, Eriol… I just don't know what to do anymore." She said despairingly.

He sat down with her, one arm still around her waist to hold her to him. "Tell me..." He encouraged quietly, his eyes watching her movements.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Syaoran is so mean… I just don't understand it. One minute everything was fine and the next he's yelling at me and telling me that I annoy him… and that he regrets ever saying he loved me."

"He said that?" Eriol asked, raising his eyebrows. It seemed today was full of surprises.

"Well… no… but I know he's thinking it!" She replied. For a moment he thought she was going to start crying again, but the moment passed.

"Why would Syaoran think such a thing? He loves you Sakura." Eriol said.

"Iie… no he doesn't!" She insisted, shaking her head. "He's mean, and cruel… not at all like the Syaoran who told me he loved me. I think he really does regret it…"

"Ridiculous." Eriol interrupted, causing Sakura to look up at him. "Sakura, if Syaoran is acting differently towards you it probably has nothing to do with you." He stated factually.

"What do you mean Eriol? Of course it has to do with me, what else could it be?" She demanded.

Eriol sweat dropped, "Sakura… you do recall that Syaoran has very important family traditions that he lives by. As a member of the Li clan he is expected to do many things, some of which put a lot of strain on him, especially when he ditches them to come here to Tomoeda and see you." He explained.

Sakura nodded. "Yes… I know that."

"Perhaps then, it is one of these things that has come to bite him… probably in the form of several phone calls from his mother… and he's so stressed out he's taking it out on you." Eriol finished.

Sakura looked thoughtful, and then slowly a small, careful smile worked its way on her face. "So… so you think that maybe this is just stress that's making him act this way?" She asked him, her eyes shining with hope.

"Hai, Sakura-san." He beamed at her.

"Then all I have to do… is be supportive, and try not to ask him to do so many things." Sakura resolved.

Eriol just grinned and nodded, smiling as she leaped up and jogged off back towards the building. "I'm glad I could help, Sakura."

----

(Meanwhile)

A pair of intense, chocolate-colored eyes watched the auburn haired girl as she sobbed in her corner. As they watched her they grew distant and clouded. Why had he said those things to her? What had happened between them as of late? It seemed like they were going backwards in time and he was that little kid again, resenting her for daring to touch the Cards he had to work so hard for. He didn't have long to question himself however as something entered the scene.

Or rather, someone, the eyes narrowed in reflexive distaste as the dark mage kneeled down next to _his _girl and put his arms around her. "Why you sneaky little bastard…" Syaoran seethed to himself as he watched the scene unfold. The sound of crying stopped and the two of them sat down and had a conversation of some kind with one another.

Anger slowly replaced itself with a sinking despair as he watched Sakura smile for the first time in weeks, her eyes shining as she looked upon Eriol. He felt the burning tears of betrayal creeping up behind his eyes, and yet he felt he didn't deserve to have them. Even though she had been the one to start the fighting, it still somehow had to be all his fault that this was happening and if someone else could make her happy…

'NO!' He thought to himself angrily. 'I will NOT allow this…' He thought, gripping his sword. He waited until Sakura skipped back into the building, and was out of sight, before racing over to the mage, anger written clearly on his features.

----

Eriol sighed contentedly to himself and made his way back over to his picnic area. He didn't make it far though, a blazing brown comet grabbed him by the back of his shirt and spun him around. Before he could make out his attacker he found himself being held up by the collar of his clean white shirt, his back pressed roughly against a tree trunk.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER!" Syaoran yelled angrily, both fists balled underneath Eriol's chin as they held him up by his collar. Eriol was finding it hard to breathe but Syaoran wasn't chocking him, merely pinning him.

"S-syao… ran…-kun." He gasped, lifting his head to offer a pained glance to the teen.

"Answer me you asshole! Why the hell did you have your hands on Sakura?" He demanded furiously.

"Put… me… down… Syaoran-kun." He managed, drawing up his hands to grasp the other teen's wrists and trying to pry his hands away.

"No way freak, I want answers, and I want them now." Syaoran growled back.

"Li-kun, put me down." This time the voice was harsh and annoyed, causing the brown one to look up for an instant to find a powerful force burning within Eriol's dark eyes.

Faltering, Syaoran obediently released his hold on the older teen, lowering him to the ground and letting his arms fall to his sides. Eriol straightened his shirt and after an uncomfortable silence, he raised his eyes to Syaoran's, demanding in their depths an explanation for his behavior.

It was then Syaoran remembered why he'd been holding Eriol pinned in the first place. He drew his sword and pointed it at the mage. "It's just not enough that I'm loosing her well enough on my own, is it?" He demanded angrily. "You just have to go poking your nose in my business… being nice to her… and putting your grimy hands on her!" He shouted furiously.

"Li-kun, put that weapon away. You're bound to attract attention. Anyways, for your information…"

"I don't want to hear it four-eyes! I don't want to hear about your plans to steal her from me!" Syaoran said, a deadly gleam in his eyes. "I'm not about to loose Sakura to you without a fight. So let's get this over with already." He ordered, swinging his sword.

Eriol deftly stepped to one side, avoiding the blade by inches. "Li-kun…" He began patiently, though in a slightly angry tone, "I am not going to fight you. Not now, and probably not ever. If you would stop acting like a five-year-old and listen to me for a minute you might learn something. But it seems that you are uninterested in hearing what I have to say in my defense. So let's leave this alone until you have calmed down a bit alright?" He turned on his heels and began to walk away.

"I said that we're going to fight." Syaoran said in a strangely quiet voice. "AND I MEANT IT!" He shouted, pulling out an ofuda scroll and summoning up a great flaming ring to stop Eriol from escaping.

Eriol stopped, staring into the flames. "Li-kun… stop this now."

"Not this time Eriol. This has been coming for a long time between us. You and I are going to fight, because…"

Eriol turned around as Syaoran trailed off, a morbid curiosity getting the better of him.

"Because… I… I just have to know… who the better man is. I have to know… for Sakura's sake." He said brokenly.

Eriol softened slightly and hazarded a step forward. "Syaoran…"

_Whoosh_

Eriol found Syaoran's blade pointed directly at his chest. "Don't you even try to talk me out of this Eriol. Now draw your weapon." He ordered, looking up with anger blazing in his eyes.

"Syaoran… this is not a fight that you should be loosing." Eriol said cryptically, drawing forth his sun staff and changing its form into a katana.

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**tbc**

**I'm so mean to you guys. XD**

**rozukitsune**


	5. Who gets the girl?

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , _Flashback_ , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

Author's Note: This chapter would have been up sooner… but I somehow accidentally deleted all traces of it and had to start over. – sobs in corner –

_Note to Susan: I never said that it wouldn't end S+E, but I also never said it would. _

_I said – "I honestly have no idea how I'm going to end this just now."_

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(Chapter 5: Who gets the girl?)

Slash, swipe, swish, clunk

The battle between the two young men had begun. Syaoran immediately noticed that Eriol wasn't even bothering with the offensive, instead falling into step and blocking Syaoran's attack with an ease the brunet thought inhuman. He slashed forward, trying to get past the seemingly impassable defense. Overhead slash, side slash, wide slash, short stab. No matter what Syaoran did, it seemed to make no difference; the dark mage continued to look incredibly bored.

"FIGHT ME!" The brunet demanded, quickening his footwork in his rage that anyone could look as cool and collected during battle as Eriol did right now. Battle's were meant to be fierce, bloody, frightening… not like this almost simple sparring that seemed to be going on between them.

"No." Eriol replied simply, continuing to block every move that the brunet made, his features never wavering from their uninterested stare. Eriol secretly hoped that if he could keep Syaoran angry enough that the boy would eventually tire himself out with his ludicrous attack formation and they would not have to continue this fight after all.

"Coward!" Syaoran jeered, lunging after him, trying to back him into the wall of flames. It was soon discovered, though that that tactic wouldn't work either. The dark mage was too clever for his own good.

"How many times must I tell you that I will not fight you before you believe me?" Eriol replied curiously.

"You're just afraid that if you actually fight with me you'll find yourself out-matched by your own descendant!" Syaoran taunted, continuing to try to find an opening in Eriol's defense.

"Don't be ridiculous Syaoran. There is no way that could ever be true." Eriol laughed.

"Why is that so ridiculous to you? I don't see you proving me wrong." Syaoran snapped back.

Eriol sighed and side stepped once again out of harms way. "Syaoran-kun, have you forgotten who I am? Who I was? I am the re-incarnation of Clow Reed, the greatest sorcerer of all time. He who mastered both East and West styles of magic and fighting in order to make a name for himself in the world. I have had not one but two lifetimes to perfect my fighting style… and I am infinitely more powerful than you. The fight card itself was created out of a need for Clow to have someone that he could spar with on even ground. The card created with the ability to learn on its feet so that Clow could teach it all that he knew about fighting, and then be able to practice his knowledge on a daily basis. You do not stand a chance against me Syaoran, for I know every move that you can conceivably make, and an entire set of moves you have never seen because you've never been to the west."

Syaoran sweat-dropped at Eriol's short history lesson, and his heart pounded against his chest. What the hell had he been thinking challenging Eriol to this fight? 'I had only been thinking of my own rage and depression… rather than the logic of it.' He thought despairingly.

Then he frowned and stopped himself. 'No… there is a reason I started this.' He reminded himself. 'I must win this fight… or I will never respect myself as the one who is destined to love and protect Sakura. I had thought it was destiny that had brought us together, that because I had fallen in love with her the entire world would move out of our way… but lately, ever since she started fighting with me I've been second guessing my role.'

Syaoran straightened and took an offensive stance, planting his feet firmly in the ground. 'If I can't win using what I know... then I guess I'm just going to have to make this up as I go. But I must win... at all costs.'

Eriol watched the emotions flow across the other teen's face, wondering what was going on inside that often rather thick skull of his. When he saw Syaoran take another offensive stance he sighed and assumed Syaoran had decided that Eriol's warning was simply a mind game. 'Syaoran you idiot... do you think that I would really try to help you if I what I truly wanted was to defeat you?' He thought, getting ready to go on the defensive again.

However, Eriol found himself extremely suprised when Syaoran did not attack him in a recognizable way. Instead the boy seemed to be attempting to throw Eriol off by inventing new ways to strike him that he would not otherwise have attempted. 'You are learning little wolf...' He thought with a slight smirk as he continued to defend himself.

The strikes came faster and more varied, Syaoran didn't seem to be trying to defend himself in his attacks, already realizing that Eriol had no interest in returning fire. Finally, after an intense barrage of lightning-fast attacks, Eriol was too slow and one of them got through, Syaoran's sword marking a path across Eriol's right side.

The two stood back to back for a moment, realizing what had just happened. Syaoran was breathing hard, the image of torn fabric and blood imprinting itself upon his mind. Eriol was shocked, slowly drawing a hand to his side and gingerly touching the open wound. It was a short cut, not very deep at all and would heal in a matter of hours.

Syaoran turned around and stared at the dark mage, feeling pride well up within him. He'd gotten through! He'd actually passed through Eriol's iron-clad defenses! If he could keep it up the battle would be his in no time!

Unfortunately, Syaoran was about to find out just why he should never have started this battle in the first place...

The dark-haired man turned slowly towards Syaoran, expression entirely blank, bangs hanging just enough over his face to shadow his eyes completely.

"Congratulations are in order, Syaoran-kun. You finally made your way through my defense. I am very impressed."

Though Syaoran was not sure why Eriol was congratulating him, in the pit of his stomache he felt a sinking feeling... and the little voice in the back of his head seemed to be telling him to run far away... while he still could.

"However, playtime is over. I have had quite enough of this game..." The dark mage lifted his head slightly, his bangs lifting to reveal a look of pure fury that would have made anyone's blood run cold.

Indeed, Syaoran felt as though he were frozen in place. Though his brain was screaming at him to escape none of his muscles seemed to be cooperating with him. 'Holy shit... what have I done?' He thought with a great deal of panic.

It was odd, at best, to be staring down this man whom Syaoran had never seen show any real emotion. He'd always carefully guarded himself... always smiled and behaved like a true gentleman no matter the situation.

Perhaps that was why Syaoran was so frightened now, he'd not been given a chance to practice resisting Eriol's true power of emotion... and now it was far too late.

Eriol darted forward faster than the eye could see, his katana angled downward at his side. Wind and dust began to collect in strength at the edge of the weapon, surging intensely until Eriol stopped about a foot away from Syaoran, slashing his weapon horizontally.

It made no difference that the weapon itself never touched Syaoran, rather the great amount of wind power that had been storing itself blasted forward, sending Syaoran careening through the wall of fire and directly into the brick of the school building. A loud crash reverberated through the forested area and a great deal of dust and smoke blew through the sky as the air sought to return to it's gentle balance amoung the other parts of nature.

The ring of flames died almost at once and Eriol dropped the barrier that he'd been casting that rendered their battle invisible to onlookers.

Slowly he walked forward, broken pieces of brick crunching underneath his feet as he walked through the dust and smoke. Eventually the air returned to normal and he gazed upon the brunet who sat hunched over in the small dent he'd made in it by flying into it at such a speed. Eriol hadn't had enough space to hit Syaoran with a truly powerful strike, but even if he had, he would not have done any more damage than this. The intent was not to kill the boy... merely to hurt him enough that the fighting spirit that he'd summoned up within himself would be quieted.

Coughing, Syaoran slowly came to consiousness, groaning at the pain that tried to overwhelm his senses. He felt the dull edge of the katana slide across his cheek and lifted his head slowly to face the man who'd bested him without hardly even trying.

"Now then, as long as you are sitting there, pay attention." Eriol commanded.

Syaoran stared at him dully in response, unable to do anything but what he was told.

"You have truly outdone yourself Li-kun. You sought a fight with me because you were feeling insecure about your relationship between yourself and Sakura-san. The same Sakura, whom only moments ago was crying to me to assure her that you did not in fact hate her, but loved her more than life itself. Which I was only too happy to do."

"Eh?" Syaoran responded, uncomprehending.

"I told her to believe in you Li-kun. I told her what she wanted to hear... and at the same time the truth."

'He... wasn't stealing her from me?' Syaoran thought in surprise, hot tears finding a path down his cheeks.

"The same relationship that has been such a blessing for you both, that has falling apart for the two of you as of late. A relationship meant to test, and make you stronger... yet you sought to destroy it once and for all."

"Iie... you're wrong Eriol... I was seeking to strengthen it." Syaoran replied stubbornly.

Eriol shook his head in annoyance. "Oh, please spare me your lies. What possible convoluted explination could you possibly have given yourself as a justification for believing that defeating me in battle would somehow save your relationship?" Eriol demanded.

Syaoran fought the immense wave of despair that threatened to overwhelm him at Eriol's harsh words. "No! Because... you... you were going to take her from me... you are so much stronger... so much better. I had to beat you... I... I had to beat you." He stammered weakly.

"So this fight was a test? Proof to yourself that you really did not deserve Sakura after all? An excuse to desert her when she needs you the most?" Eriol's voice rose with each question, his demanding tone cutting through Syaoran's already weakened self-esteem.

"No! It's not true... it... it's not true!" Syaoran finally burst into tears. It seemed that his entire world was shattering beneath his feet. Darkness threatened to consume him.

"I pity you Li-kun. That you went through so much trouble... and yet this outcome has not solved any of the problems that you wished to solve. You have not relieved yourself of your duty... and you have failed to find the truth you were searching for in defeating me. For strength and power... is no measurement of whom is better than whom."

"I don't understand..."

"Then you still have much to learn my young descendant." Eriol turned and strode away, leaving Syaoran to collapse from exhaustion as the brunet tried to figure out the meaning behind what Eriol had said.

'But... what other kind of measurement is there than strength, or power?'

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Ouch, that had to hurt 

**rozu**


	6. Heartbroken

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , _Flashback_ , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 6: Heartbroken)

Predictable

One word that described the fact that Syaoran did not show up to school the next day. The fact that he had indeed decided to use his loss as an excuse to escape the truth facing him in Tomoeda, and instead return home to where he might be reprimanded for being an idiot... but where he would also find solace and sympathy with his sisters and cousin (who had returned with him, though he'd had to drag her kicking and screaming through the airport and onto the plane).

Syaoran's part as Raoul was given to one of the other considerations for the role and in general he was forgotten.

With the exception of one auburn-haired girl who was currently blaming herself for his absense.

Eriol gazed worriedly over at her, observing the way she was slumped over her desk, fingers threaded in her hair, threatening to tear it from her head as she assailed herself with countless silent questions that all ended up in the fact that it had to be her fault that he had left.

"Sakura..." He whispered, trying to grab her attention.

The distraught teenager did not seem to hear him, caught up in her own little world.

He sighed and turned his attention back to the teacher and appologized on Sakura's behalf, explaining that she was going through a difficult time and that the teacher should leave her be until things were sorted out.

Being the charming young man that he was, the teacher was easily swayed and agreed not to try to draw her attention back to the classroom for the time being. Though she soon after made it Eriol's responsibility to keep Sakura up-to-date on the homework assignments so that at the very least the girl didn't fall behind in her subjects. He had no choice but to agree.

----

"Arigato, Eriol-kun." Sakura muttered softly as she solved the last equation of her homework.

"Not at all, Sakura-chan. It was the least I could do... after all the hardships you've been having." Eriol smiled gently and helped her to put her things away.

She sighed and sat back against the comfortable backing of the couch, seeming to desire to just melt into it and forget all of her troubles.

He rose from his chair and disappeared for a moment, unnoticed by her as she just sat there, eyes closed.

It was comforting sitting there in Eriol's living room. A small fire in the fireplace keeping the room warm despite the cold spring night. Sakura's father would be out late tonight... and Touya only visited in the day... so she would have to go home to an empty house. But at least, she didn't have to spend the –entire- evening at home.

She sighed... normally, it would be Tomoyo that she would go to in her hour of need... and she had back when her and Syaoran had begun fighting. But after a while, Tomoyo began to get annoyed that Sakura was getting so clingy... or at least, that was what she had said.

"Why does everyone hate me..." She whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"No one hates you, Sakura-san." Eriol replied, returning from the other room with a large, thin, silver plate with an entire tea set settled upon it.

She sat up immediately as he set the plate down and began setting out the cups and pouring the tea.

"Yes they do Eriol." She argued, reaching forward to scoup sugar into her tea. "They must hate me... to be so mean to me for no reason."

Eriol gave her an amused side-glance. "Sakura... aren't I a part of 'everyone'?"

Sakura blinked at him and bowed her head. "Sorry... I mean everyone _else_ hates me. Better?"

"Not really... but it's close enough for now." He replied then sat back and sipped his tea.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, the tea working it's magic to ease Sakura's pain. When she finished her tea, she actually smiled a little at him.

"Thanks again... you really are too kind." She said bowing her head.

"Not at all, I am honored to be of service to you." He replied and began to pack up the dishes.

"I should probably go home... but... I really don't want to be alone right now." She muttered sadly to herself.

Eriol glanced at her thoughtfully then picked up the tray. "If you'd like... you may stay here for the night. I have plenty of extra bedrooms here... I can have Ruby-san set one of them up."

Sakura's head lifted and she stared at him. "Really, Eriol? You mean it? I can stay here?"

Eriol returned her stare with a gentle smile. "Of course you can stay. I would actually feel much better if you did. After all... here I can make sure you don't do anything foolish." He grinned and wandered off to the kitchen.

Ruby Moon, who always made it her business to listen in on conversations held in said living room, immediately went to make up a room for the card mistress to stay in.

Sakura, meanwhile, beamed a greatful smile at Eriol and watched as he disappeared again from the room.

'Eriol-kun is so nice...' The thought was like a pillow made of soft feathers in an bed made of stone. It comforted her and soothed the pain in her heart.

----

Soon after the conversation, Eriol left Sakura to her own devices, telling her that he always spent a few minutes before bed meditating in the library where he apparently burned incense and tried to read what the future would bring using his inner eye.

He told her to make herself at home, and to feel free to wander around and familiarize herself with the mansion, noting that when she was ready, Ruby would be only too happy to show her to her room.

He vanished soon afterwards and Sakura found herself wandering through the vast hallways of the mansion.

Before now, she'd only ever been in the living room, and the dining room. But now that she had the time to explore she found a music room... a swimming pool... a small office, and the room she supposed was the library because she smelled incense flowing out of it. She could not check however, because it was locked. 'Guess he doesn't want to be disturbed...'

----

'Wow... Eriol's house sure is big...' She thought as she took the stairs up to the second floor. Up here it looked like were only bedrooms. Curious she poked in each one, finding her own rather easily (Ruby moon had decked it out in pink).

Eventually she reached the end of the hallway, figuring this room must be Eriol's because the others were not.

She opened the door slowly and gazed within. Sure enough it was pretty obvious from the decor that this was the dark mage's room. The walls were covered in dark-colored wallpaper, the bed was made of mahogany, dark blue covers with white suns and moons all over it were folded neatly on the bed as well as a pillow.

There was a night-stand beside the bed where Sakura supposed he put his glasses at night so that they were easy to find in the morning, and a door that probably led to the bathroom.

The wall closest to where the bed was located had sliding glass doors with dark blue curtains draped over it, and behind the doors was a patio that allowed one a beautiful view of the sprawling forest that lay behind the mansion.

Sakura stood outside, taking in the fresh night air and observing the bright stars in the night sky. 'Wow...' She thought as she took in the surroundings, loving the scent of the different tree's and flowers that filled the air.

"It is beautiful... isn't it?" Asked a quiet male voice from behind her.

Sakura turned around to watch Eriol walk through the glass doors, joining her on the balcony.

"It's gorgeous..." She agreed. "Eriol... I've always wondered how it is that you are so rich..." She asked curiously, smiling at him.

He grinned, "I inherited my money from Clow." He answered.

"Ah... right." She laughed.

"Come on back inside... it's rather chilly out here." He said, leading her back in and shutting the glass doors behind them.

Sakura sat down on the edge of his bed and bounced giddilly. "Your house is so cool." She said happily, her childlike-innocence making him smile.

"It's good to see you smile." He replied, taking a seat beside her. "I was really starting to worry about you."

Her smile fell and she sighed. "I'm sorry to make you worry about me... I suppose you think I'm troublesome."

Eriol shook his head and reached around with one arm to squeeze her shoulder gently. "Not at all Sakura. Your happiness is what matters most. After all... it is the brightness of your heart that makes people gravitate to you. And those who are your true friends know that it is important to keep that light aglow." He replied.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish everyone else could see that..."

"What exactly happened between you and Tomoyo?" He asked, wishing to clear up some of the questions he'd had been saving regarding her sudden reliance on him.

"I don't know... just like Syaoran... she just started to yell at me all of the time. I just don't understand it... but it hurts so much." She replied, crying a little.

He hugged her softly, "That doesn't sound like Tomoyo... but... there must be some reason she was picking on you." He reassured her.

She sighed and looked up at him, managing a smile. "You know just how to make me feel better. I... I don't know what I would have done without you lately."

He smiled back, and Sakura suddenly realized just how handsome he was. Dark haired and pale skinned... he was like a movie star... she wondered why she'd never noticed it before.

Slowly, she reached up and stroked his cheek with her thumb experimentally. His skin was so smooth.

Eriol watched her movements quietly, momentarily confused about the turn the conversation had taken. He was quickly set straight thought, when she gently removed his glasses and scooted closer to him.

"Sakura..." He hedged vaguely, but didn't have long to object as she suddenly, and without warning, pressed her lips against his.

The kiss was chaste and lasted only a moment, but to Eriol it seemed like an eternity. She pulled away and returned his glasses, blushing ferociously. "I... I'm sorry Eriol... I don't know what came over me." She stammered, turning away from him.

"It... it's alright Sakura... you are hurt... and lonely... you reached out to me because of that... nothing more. You should get some rest." He replied stiffly.

She nodded numbly and scurried out of his room. When he was certain she was no longer nearby he allowed himself to feel the full power behind what had just happened.

His body burned the passion of a thousand blazing flames... if she could do that to him with just one simple kiss... then he was in serious trouble. He'd always invisioned that some day he'd whisk her out from under Syaoran's nose and claim her as his own... but this, this was all wrong. He had not wanted to win her this way... and yet... who was to argue? There was certainly no reason not to take full advantage of this situation.

'No... I could not do that to Sakura.' He reprimanded, getting a hold over himself. 'If this is how fate has decided to bring us together... then I must be careful and let things happen over time. Taking advantage of her now will only drive her away... I must wait for her to become accustomed to me.'

And yet... though that answer seemed to make him feel a little better... a nagging feeling told him that this was still entirely wrong. That he should send her home now... or tell her some kind of sage advice about how getting too attached to him might be ill-advised.

'This is silly...' He thought. 'I wanted this all along... clearly even I need some time to realize that my dream has dropped itself in my lap.'

And with that, he undressed and got under the covers. But sleep did not come as easily as he would have liked.

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**rozu**


	7. Syaoran

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , _Flashback_ , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to post this. been having problems.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 7: Syaoran)

He napped the entire way back to Hong Kong. Even Meilin knew better than to wake him up, despite the fact that she was itching to get down to the bottom of his problems and give them a good swift kick in the pants.

Once they arrived at the airport they found Wei waiting there for them with their luggage already at his side.

"Welcome back Master Syaoran... Miss Meilin." He greeted, bowing slightly.

"Thanks Wei." Meilin said with a smile.

The lack of a similar greeting from the chocolate-haired teenager caused a curious expression to cross the old man's features, but Meilin shook her head and shrugged helplessly in response, and Wei understood that the young man needed time to think to himself.

The drive home was quiet and uneventful; Syaoran's eyes stared out of the limo's tinted windows, his mind a thousand miles away. Or more specifically, it was in Tomoeda, Japan.

'What have I done?' He thought miserably to himself, the events of the last few weeks replaying themselves in his mind. So much pain and anger... over what?

"Why?" He whispered aloud, catching Meilin's attention. Her only reply was to reach over and squeeze his shoulder gently.

He did not even notice, his thoughts turning to the last moments before he had decided to leave.

'I have behaved like an idiot.' He realized, remembering the fight he'd started with Eriol.

"...strength and power... is no measurement of whom is better than whom."

The dark mage's final message echoed in Syaoran's ears. The brunet still did not understand the reference that it had been made to, but he realized that perhaps he did know the answer... only that it was momentarily evading him.

Eventually they reached home. Syaoran helped with the luggage without even being asked and Meilin just sighed in exasperation, catching his attention.

"What is with you? One minute you're a complete vegetable and the next you are Mr. Helpful." She muttered in annoyance, stamping her foot.

"Sorry Meilin... I have a lot on my mind." He apologized sincerely, staring into her sharp amber eyes.

She threw her hands up in the universal sign of surrender, "I give up Syaoran, obviously you don't want my help. But I will say this much... Sakura is terrible for doing this to you." She said bluntly, then with a toss of her bags over her shoulder she strode down the walkway of his house and headed towards her own.

Syaoran couldn't help but smile and shake his head at her retreating form. "Wei... would you drive her?"

"Of course Master Syaoran." He replied, pausing for a moment to turn to the teenager. "Incidentally... you don't think she's really angry do you?"

Syaoran chuckled, "Nah... she's just faking it because I refused to talk to her earlier. She'll get over it."

Wei nodded then got into the limo and drove after the often ill-tempered young woman.

Syaoran watched for a moment then sighed, his smile fading as he prepared to enter the house.

Throughout his entire life the only place he ever truly feared entering was his own home. Despite the fact that there was no real reason for his continued dislike in returning, much like his old grudge against Eriol... so was his grudge against the past occurrences that he'd had to put up with.

His four older sisters, whom were now all married and living elsewhere, still found the time to visit and annoy the hell out of him whenever they got the chance. They really weren't as bad though... as his mother, who in all of her years of raising him, still rarely offered him a comforting smile or a shoulder to cry on. He had, by now, far surpassed her in power and strength, but she could still turn him into a shivering mass of uncertainty with only a single stare.

"Li Syaoran." Came the familiar, no-nonsense, call from down the hallway. Syaoran instinctively shivered and sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable. He set his luggage down by the door and slowly made his way into the living room.

He entered the room, immediately noticing that his mother was standing outside upon the terrace. He dragged his feet along until he reached her, shuffling uncomfortably as he waited for her to reprimand him for leaving again.

There was a long silence. Syaoran's nervousness rose, usually if she was going to yell at him for doing something wrong she'd do it right away. His mother was not the type to draw out his punishment like this. A pause like this one usually meant that there was some bad news heading his way... and getting bad news was even worse than being punished.

At last she turned to him, and his suspicions were confirmed as he observed the sorrowful glance in her eyes.

"Your time has run out my son... I'm afraid that you can no longer come and go as you please. It is time for you to take your place as the head of the Li Clan." She informed him.

"What?!" He demanded in shock. The last time they'd held a conversation like this she had said that he wouldn't be able to take over until he'd come of age. What was this new nonsense about his time having run out?

"The elders decided that you are old enough to take over. After all, you were always an early learner, they have unanimously opted to allow you to become the head. It appears that with their collective power they have seen a dire need for a man to head once more." She said.

Syaoran listened. In his mothers voice he heard a distinct dislike for this decision. This surprised him, never before had his mother ever shown even a small disregard for the choices of the elders. Why now? To him this seemed unfair, yes... but he would deal with it like he had dealt with everything else in the past. But the idea that his mother, who had never held back once in her life, wanted to hold back now... made Syaoran wonder what exactly being the head of the Li Clan entitled.

Perhaps he was reading too much into it though... his mother had always believed in tradition. Everything was always done the right way. At least when it involved something of this nature. It was possible she didn't like it simply because it would be the first time that anyone under-age would be head of the Li Clan. He recalled that she hadn't liked it when he'd become the youngest chosen one either.

Then again... maybe she was merely insulted at the fact the elders seemed to be unable to wait a couple more years. What could possibly be so bad that she herself couldn't handle it as she had been for the last decade or so. The idea that there was something coming that his mother could not face made him very insecure.

If his mother couldn't do it... then how could he?

"Syaoran!"

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts, and he wondered how long she'd been trying to grab his attention for.

"Sumimasen." He bowed.

"What on Earth were you thinking about with such disregard for paying attention?" She snapped.

"Nothing important." He replied. She eyed him sharply for a moment then seemed to calm down.

"Let me guess... it was the reason for your sudden return... right?" She asked quietly, almost sending Syaoran back into his own thoughts.

"Iie. I was thinking about how much I had missed you, 'kaa-sama." He replied, not wanting to talk about that just yet.

Her normal commanding aura collapsed under a new one of true concern. She kneeled down and took his chin in her fingers. "You know that you needn't fear telling me your troubles... right? I may be a strict taskmaster... but I am also your mother." She held his gaze within hers, the surprise in his features causing her to smile slightly.

Syaoran fell into his mother's arms, burying his face in her gown.

For the first time he could recall since he had been a toddler, he cried. His body shook with his sorrow as he finally allowed himself to release everything he'd been holding locked within him up until now.

----

The next few weeks passed relatively normally. He began a special new training designed to hone his skills with the elements even further. He had found out that there was a special technique that only the heads of the Li Clan were allowed to learn, and as he was in the process of being instated as such, he was making a point to master it as quickly as possible.

Although he doubted that this technique was truly unknown to all who were not Li Clan members, he decided that the more techniques he knew the better off he'd be the next time he challenged the dark mage.

And yes, there would be a next time. As time flew on, Syaoran eventually told his mother everything that had been happening. True to her nature she had, instead of consoling him, berated him for doing such a stupid thing as challenge the re-incarnation of Clow Reed to a duel. Through her unspoken words he realized on his own that he would have to ask for a rematch... because there was no way he was going to simply let Sakura go like that. She meant far too much to him.

Syaoran stared blankly ahead, his mind screeching to a halt. His tutor was yelling at him, fuming that the boy, in mid-technique had suddenly gone completely rigid.

'I love Sakura.' The thought resonated in his head. Something about those words... he had always known them to be true... but today suddenly they seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

"...strength and power... is no measurement of whom is better than whom."

"Heart..." He whispered in shock.

At this utterance his instructor decided that there was no point in continuing the lesson for the day. "Call me when you get your head back on straight." Fumed the elder gentleman before storming off.

Syaoran did not notice his departure, he was far too wrapped up in his thoughts.

"Eriol's message... he was talking about heart..." Syaoran muttered to no one.

This was exiting... like traveling through a long, dark mountain passageway and finally sighting the fresh air and daylight just ahead. Syaoran chewed on his answer, wondering if it was the right one. He thought back to the day of the fight, the words spoken to him just before he'd finally lunged after the mage in his fury.

"Syaoran… this is not a fight that you should be loosing."

Eriol had been right... the thought unnerved Syaoran, but then the brunet realized that the dark mage was always right. Thus far, in all of Syaoran's knowledge of the man, he had never been wrong once. Perhaps his infuriatingly perfect accuracy in predicting the future was what annoyed him so much...

Now that he seemed to have found the answer to one question, several others sprouted up in its place. If what Eriol meant was that it was heart that measured someone's worth, then did that mean Eriol thought Syaoran had more heart than himself? After all, the entire battle he'd insisted that Syaoran had been wasting his time trying to figure out who was more worthy for Sakura.

Or perhaps, it was not that Eriol thought Syaoran had more heart, but that he was only trying to point out that Syaoran was trying to define worth the wrong way.

The latter was more likely, Syaoran decided.

-----

Time continued to pass and Syaoran was fully instated as the new Li Clan head. Day after day the only things he had time to do were his responsibilities.

During the day he was in all sorts of special classes that only very important Li clan members were invited to attend. He was taught to map the sky and chart the passage of time. How to recognize which planets were good and bad.

There were several different forms of fortune telling he had to know. He learned to understand the tide of magic relative to each of the hidden elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Metal. Recognize shapes within the billowing smoke of a stick of incense.

In the afternoon his training in the advanced elemental skills, finding that they were only slightly more complicated than what he'd already taught himself. However, as his command over the elements increased, so was the amount of new techniques he had to practice for the next session.

During the evening he met each and every other powerful family in Hong Kong and all of the people who represented their connections over-seas. He learned to make deals with those who were friends, and how to compromise with those who were enemies.

He never even noticed that Meilin had never returned…

----

**Alright, for those of you who are slow… by next chapter you will probably start to understand what is going on here. XD**

**rozu**


	8. Unexpected

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

Key:

- Dream State - , _Flashback_ , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

Author's Note: Chapter 8 takes place at the same time as chapter 7.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 8: Unexpected)

The next day dragged on into eternity. Eriol kept up his usual gentlemanly manner and for the most part it appeared that Sakura was going to pretend like nothing indeed had occurred the previous evening. However, Sakura was not nearly as experienced as he was at keeping her thoughts to herself and towards the afternoon he noticed her facade of forgetfulness falling apart at the seams. He would smile at her as always and she would involuntarily blush and look away. As the afternoon progressed she became sloppier, finding herself in his arms on several occasions and then succumbing to blurting things out that seemed to have nothing to do with what she was doing. By the time the school day had ended the gossips had something new to converse about.

After only a few weeks of arguing... and barely a day after Syaoran had left... Sakura had found a new boyfriend?

Eriol ran his fingers through his long hair in slight annoyance. Despite the fact that he had once dreamed of this, the idea of Sakura being in love with him, now or ever, continued to trouble him more than could be explained.

'I don't understand...' He thought to himself.

"Eriol!" Sakura called behind him. He stopped and turned to glance at her. His default smile appeared without altering his thought pattern in the least.

"You should have waited for me." She reprimanded as she fell into step beside him.

"I'm not so sure you should continue your stay with me Sakura-san." He replied, his eyes trained on something off in the distance.

Sakura's smile fell. "You do find me troublesome... don't you Eriol..." She mumbled, fearing that what little remained of the happiness she'd managed to hold onto as of late beginning to slip away.

"No... it's not that Sakura. I... I just have a really bad feeling about all of this." He replied softly.

Suddenly, as if Eriol's words had been a cue, the forest around them burst into flames.

Sakura screamed in surprise and dived for the ground, her hands over her head.

Eriol stared at her in disbelief. "Sakura... what do you think you are doing down there?"

Sakura slowly raised her head and looked at him, uncomprehending his words.

"Has all of this recent nonsense blocked your memory? You are the card mistress!" He reminded her, an annoyed glance crossing his features.

"Eh heh... oh yeah." She muttered.

Before she could get up onto her feet however, a stream of fire blasted towards her, deadly accuracy aiming to take off her head.

Eriol had no choice, he leapt forward and in one movement, summoned both his staff and a magic shield to block the flames.

Sakura stared at him in awe, having forgotten that he was capable of magic at all. Then she realized something odd about the shield. Indeed it seemed to be only a shadow of the shield card itself. Barely strong enough to be holding back such a powerful attack. Her observation wandered to Eriol, who seemed to be using all of his concentration to hold up the shield.

"Sakura!" He called back to her, snapping her out of her trance. "I can't hold this forever..." He reprimanded.

"Right." She responded, then got to her feet. In a moment her star staff was released in her hand, the Watery ready in her left hand.

As she brought it forward to cast it however, it vanished right from her hand. "Huh...? Watery... where'd you go?" She blinked, rummaging through her cards to try to find it.

"Sakura..." Eriol gasped. Without warning the magic shield shattered, the torrent of flames catching him directly in the chest and forcing him to fly backwards into the dirt.

"Eriol!" She yelled. Now anger fueled her motions. She drew forth the Rain and ordered it forward, in moments it doused the blaze and Sakura immediately went to Eriol's side. Not even noticing that it too disappeared.

"Eriol!" She cried as she reached him and collapsed beside him. She ran her fingers over his burnt clothing and then glanced up to see that his features were furrowed in pain. She reached up and stroked his cheek gently. "Eriol... are you alright? Say something." She begged softly.

"...I... am alright... Sakura-san." He managed weakly, coughing slightly.

After a while where he simply rested on the forest floor, she helped him to his feet using Power to give her enough strength to lift him.

----

"I thought I had trained you better than that." Eriol muttered as she finished wrapping him in bandages.

"Gomen nasai Eriol-kun." She muttered softly as she bowed her head.

"Sorry isn't good enough Sakura. You MUST expect the unexpected at all times! Clow gave up his cards with the faith that you would use them properly." Eriol reprimanded.

Sakura slumped further, tears forming in her eyes. "I am sorry Eriol... I... I..." She stammered, not knowing what to say to get him to not be so angry with her.

Eriol sighed and smiled at her vaguely. "Please try to be more careful... ok?" He asked gently.

She brought her head up and down fervently. "Hai... of course I will. I would hate for you to get hurt again for my sake." She replied honestly.

He chuckled, "Alright already... let's get some rest."

She smiled and helped him out of his chair. This time it was her turn to notice the vague blush that crossed his cheeks as she wrapped her arms delicately around his injured chest.

A soft pink, which darkened as she helped him into his room. "Arigato Sakura-san... I'll take it from here." He muttered softly. This proximity to her, in his room, was giving him thoughts that he had no right to have. It didn't help either that he was shirtless at the moment, which as it occurred to him made matters infinitely worse.

Sakura smiled cluelessly and shook her head, "Nonsense, at the very least I can help you into bed. You'd probably only injure yourself further if I left you alone."

"Sakura…" He groaned, sweat-dropping a little as it occurred to him that she was still rather innocent and did not recognize his discomfort.

Luckily however, it was that same innocence that got him into bed without a single teasing smile from Sakura. He was still in his regular pants rather than his bedclothes, but at the very least it was a start.

"Thank you Sakura-chan." He muttered honestly, allowing himself to trust her care.

"Sure… I'll be right down the hall if you need me alright?" She smiled then bowed out of the room.

-----

Days passed and Eriol healed completely. However, despite the fact that Sakura kept on her toes from that day forward, she continued to loose her cards. Eventually she revealed this to Eriol, who immediately checked to make sure that the invisible thief was not the card that had caused Sakura so much trouble in the past. But the Hope was there, shining happily at Sakura, and thus ruled her out of the list of likely suspects.

"I just can't figure it out… who might be stealing your cards… and why? No one can use them but you…" Eriol muttered in annoyance.

"I dunno Eriol… I mean… maybe they figured out how to tap into the cards energy like you do." She offered as an explanation.

Eriol immediately shook his head. "I do not 'tap in' to their energy Sakura. The cards have belonged to you completely for a long time now. The only reason I can use their power is that their abilities were sealed in this staff long before you ever knew them… and this staff still has memories of them. Every time I use them the power of them weakens until the memory vanishes completely."

Sakura stared at him in shock. "You mean… like how the shield shattered?"

"Correct." He nodded. His expression turned dark, but Sakura did not notice, following this line of thought.

"So that means… that eventually… you wont have any power left?" She blinked, staring up at him.

Eriol sighed heavily. "Well… no not really… it just means that I will no longer be able to use Clow's power."

Sakura looked confused, "But… that doesn't mean you'll be powerless?"

"This key, and the original seal, plus my guardians are all expressions of Clow's power. Just as your guardians once were. Just like you, I will no longer be able to rely on Clow's power… and I will be forced to tap into the powers that I was born with." Eriol explained quietly.

"You have your own powers?" Sakura asked curiously, a smile brimming on her face. "What are they?"

"I… don't know." He replied. This time Sakura caught onto his mood and stopped asking questions. Although that didn't mean she no longer had them.

-----

"Eriol… why don't you tell the teachers to give you Raoul?" Sakura asked him for the billionth time as they rehearsed.

Finally Eriol gave into her questions. "Sakura… I know that the original reason I did it was to make Syaoran happy… but don't you think it would be odd to the teachers if I asked them to switch back? After the time I took to change it… it would seem strange for me to change my mind. Especially this late. We're practically ready to perform the play." He informed her gently.

Sakura pouted, "But I want to be with you in the end… not some other guy."

Eriol smiled and squeezed her shoulder gently, "Sakura… it's only a play. When it is over reality will continue to go on… and you will still be mine." He reassured her.

She smiled and skipped off, leaving Eriol to smile after her.

Time had eased the uncertainty in his heart, he finally felt right where he was meant to be with regards to Sakura. Or, to be more accurate, Eriol had reasoned that the horrible feeling he was getting was probably in regards to the fact that someone was slowly obtaining each and every one of Sakura's cards. And if that wasn't bad news, he didn't know what was.

-----

"Your plan is working flawlessly." The red-headed woman cackled as she observed the two teenagers.

"But of course… how could it not?" The dark-haired man replied with a grin. Indeed, the card mistress had been almost to easy to destroy. Soon she would be totally defenseless, with only the weaker, useless cards at her disposal, and even those would soon be under their control.

The woman glanced to the two shadows in the distance. One of which was thrashing about.

"That girl certainly has a lot of spirit…" She muttered.

"It is interesting that her absence does not seem to have alerted the brown one at all. I suppose we should be grateful it was not him that we had to destroy… we may have had a much more difficult time killing his spirit than hers. He is much more solitary than she."

Rika smiled thoughtfully. "You don't think we should crush him anyway? Just in case?"

"Nah… judging by how fast he fled, I think that tearing his love away from him has crushed him enough. And besides, he could never become powerful enough to defeat us once we have obtained all of her cards." Toro replied.

"Yeah, I guess your right." She tossed her flame-red hair over her shoulder then went back to observing the other two.

"What about him?"

"The re-incarnation of Clow-sama?"

"Yeah… up until now it hasn't been really much of an issue for us, they weren't really that close. But now… I think perhaps that if we don't pull him out soon he might give her back some of the spirit she's lost."

Toro's eyes flashed maliciously. "Oh I doubt that… her friends mean far too much to her for him alone to replace. No, he will never be worth more to her than he is right now. She cannot regain the lost pieces of her heart without the help of her friends… and unfortunately they are a little tied up at the moment."

"Heheheh, I guess you're right. Still unlike the brown one, he might pose a serious threat to our plans. He may not mean much to her… but we cannot be sure of the same in his case."

"Indeed… he is after all the re-incarnation of the greatest sorcerer of the east and west. But don't worry… I am almost finished with a special project I'm making just for him. And when it's ready… we will pull our final assault upon the pathetic card mistress!"

HEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHHE

-----

**Get it now?**

**XD **

**rozu**


	9. Too little, too late

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

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(Chapter 9: Too little, too late)

Eriol sat in his study, observing the gentle flow of the smoke coming from the three thin sticks of incense, each burning from their places. They were situated in a triangle pattern, just close enough together that he could see all three of them at once, but far enough apart so that the smoke from each only slightly crossed the others paths.

He meditated, breathing in the different scents he had chosen for the evening. Their gentle soothing fragrance could not dissuade the terrible weight that flooded his senses.

Since before he'd returned to Tomoeda he had been getting signs. Signs of things to come… things that spoke of terror, and great sacrifice, things that whispered of shadows and darkness, evil unimaginable. Dark hints that he would be finding himself back in Japan, doing what he could to save the world from what was to come.

When he had arrived in Japan the story had continued. The spirals of smoke warned of darkness on all sides, a danger unforeseen… related to the protectors of the great power of Clow. When Sakura had fallen into his care, his own instinct only confirmed what he'd already known.

Things were getting worse rather than better… it was as though he was making no difference at all in his being there. He realized finally that the future was trying to tell him that he too was in grave danger. However, he recognized in the dancing shadows that his own fate was of a separate quality than the others. The current issues were dancing on the forefront of the future, yes, but behind them were even darker shadows that surrounded his future alone. It was these shadows that were distracting him from the fight at hand. He wished that he could see further into those shadows that danced in the background, find out what was going to happen to him so that he could warn Sakura and the others and perhaps stop whatever it was before it came to fruition.

These shadows frightened him. Sure, there had been times where he had known that truly terrible things were about to occur, but never before had they been of such a quality that he could not decipher them and plan for their approach. The only thing he could do was guess at what his instincts were telling him, and they were not giving him many clues. However, there was one thing he was almost certain of, this future that spoke of darkness and despair had everything to do with Eriols eventual loss of the use of Clow's magic.

_What is it that is so dark and evil… that lies within my own powers?_ He wondered, shivering. Then eventually he shook himself and turned his attention back to the matters at hand. _Why has it become so hard for me to understand what I'm seeing in this mass of smoke?_

----

In almost an exact replica of what was happening in Eriol's study, Syaoran sat quietly in his small classroom, trying his hardest to do what his teacher had told him.

The three sticks of incense burned, their poorly chosen scents making him gag. He had picked the sticks at random in perfect demonstration of just how unknowledgeable he was in this subject, and was now regretting that he had not read the chapter in the textbook he'd been assigned that had gone over which scents went best together.

He found that he was having a hard time concentrating on the shapes the white wisps of smoke were drawing in the air. His lack of practice in sitting for long periods of time and meditating upon whatever it was the future was trying to tell him making him subject to his own exhaustion. He yawned; filling his lungs with the rather putrid concoction of scents he'd chosen and immediately began coughing as his body attempted to rid itself of the horrible-smelling air.

_This is stupid… I'm not learning anything here. I'm way too distracted by everything that's going wrong to pay attention. Perhaps tomorrow I'll pick better scents and then this wont be so hard._ He thought, picking himself up and excusing himself from the class early. Unfortunately, his teacher was waiting right outside the door and dragged him back into the room by his ear, berating him for trying to leave early and insisted upon starting the entire thing over from scratch.

Syaoran was grateful that the teacher chose the scents himself this time, though he was clearly disappointed that Syaoran hadn't bothered to do his homework. "I expect you to know better tomorrow boy, we do not have time for you to ignore your studies."

"Yes sir." Syaoran muttered, bowing his head in response.

----

(Tomoeda)

The next evening was to be the official performance of The Phantom of the Opera. Everyone was running around nervously as the hour grew near for all of the actors to be in their places. Sakura fidgeted as the costume crew helped her into her outfit. Her stomach was full of uncertainty and excitement. Usually, at a time like this, Tomoyo would be the one helping her with her last-minute wardrobe preparations… a few tears rolled down Sakura's face as she found herself missing the friendship that she'd had once with the girl who had been her best friend since the fifth grade.

She reminisced in all the good times they had had together, her heart breaking further as she desperately clung onto what little hope she had that maybe someday Tomoyo and her could be friends again.

And speaking of friends… where was Eriol when one needed a shoulder to cry on? She had not seen him when she'd first been ushered into the dressing room, and she'd assumed he'd gotten there earlier and was also dressing. Still, she had hoped he would be around to give her some words of encouragement before their performance… as he was the only one still talking to her out of all of her closest friends. And she just could not figure out what had happened to her brother and Yukito, whom she hadn't seen for several months now. Even Kero, had no idea where they had run off too, and though it wasn't unnatural for them to go off on vacation, she'd thought they would have at least told her, being that Yuki was technically just an alter ego for other guardian, Yue.

Well, she supposed she shouldn't worry about that right now, there was only an hour or so left until the show and she could already hear the audience filing in.

----

Eriol stared quietly down into the river below, his hands propping him against the railing of the bridge he was on.

He had decided to get a breath of fresh air, with an hour to go until the show he had figured he would have plenty of time for a short stroll since he was already dressed in his costume for the evening. He gave his reflection in the river a good look, enjoying the way the white mask over his eyes made him look even more dashing than usual. It was very strange, wearing contacts instead of his usual glasses, but he'd had no other choice but to invest in them as it just would not have worked to have an eye-glass-wearing phantom. It was just lucky that he happened to be rich enough to buy anything he needed. Not to mention that after the show was over he planned to return the uncomfortable things and get his money back. They were just not worth it.

"Eriol…"

The female voice startled him, and drew his attention away from his reflection. He stared slowly upon the violet-haired girl who had once been Sakura's best friend, his expression blank, helped greatly by the white mask of the phantom.

"Tomoyo… how are things?" he asked conversationally, squashing down the feelings of anger that were welling up within him at seeing the girl who had hurt Sakura. He had to keep objective… that was the only way he was going to get any answers.

Her violet eyes diverted from his, staring down at her feet. She blushed in shame, "I… I'm doing all right. How is Sakura-chan?" she asked quietly.

Eriol turned from her, staring back into the river as he continued to fight his anger. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" he asked almost harshly, noticing her flinch out of the corner of his eye.

"Please don't be angry with me Eriol… there was nothing I could do…"

Eriol exploded, "Nothing you could do?! She was your best friend Tomoyo! You should have been willing to do anything!" he replied, turning to her, fury evident in his features.

Tomoyo cringed, her head bowed as she nodded dully to Eriol's comment, waiting for him to continue with what she was sure he was going to say.

But strangely, the moment passed, and she looked up in surprise, finding him looking back out over the river, clearly trying to remain civil despite his obvious anger.

"Tomoyo… I must know… why you did this to her." he said softly.

Truly, she was amazed at his restraint, it was obvious to her that he would have liked nothing better than to simply ignore logic and yell at her until he'd thoroughly broken her spirit. It was something she would have expected Syaoran to do… but it occurred to her now just how different Eriol was from the brunet.

A shadow shifted in the distance, and a slight smile worked its way onto Tomoyo's features, the time for pretending would be over soon.

"I had no choice Eriol. She just kept on crying… I didn't know what else to do. I tried comforting her… I even tried suggesting to her that she give up on Syaoran." she admonished

Eriol stared at her incredulously, "Give up… why would you tell her something like that?" he demanded. "In all the time I've known you, Tomoyo… I've learned how much of a caring friend you are. You, of all people, were the one who was always there for her. Always giving her hope that things would be all right, turning a scary situation into something fun and lighthearted so that she could be brave. You helped her become the bright-hearted girl that she is. And all of the sudden you think you can't handle her problems?"

----

(Hong Kong)

_Syaoran stood in a place of shadows. The ground below his feet billowed slightly with smoke which was coming towards him from just ahead. He ran in the direction the smoke was coming from and found himself witnessing a battle the likes of which he'd never seen. Almost all of the Sakura Cards surrounded their mistress, each of them using their powers to attempt to destroy her._

_Syaoran's mouth hung open in shock, why would Sakura's own cards be attacking her like this? He watched helplessly as the girl he loved tried in vain to fight them all off with only a few of the cards she had left and her star staff. _

_He turned his attention to a man and a woman who were controlling the cards, laughing demonically in the background. Behind them three very familiar people hung from shackles on the wall, one of which was desperately trying to escape, the middle one which was watching the third worriedly as it appeared to simply hang there motionless, eyes-closed._

_He could not recognize them, but something told him that the thrashing one was Meilin, and the middle one was Tomoyo._

_He turned his attention back to the fight just in time to watch Sakura get skewered by the Sword._

"SAKURA!"

Syaoran jolted awake at the sound of his own scream, catching the attention of his teacher who had just returned to check up on him.

"I beg your pardon Li-kun?" the man asked curiously, trying to figure out why Syaoran was breathing so hard.

Syaoran turned immediately to the teacher and got to his feet. "I saw… the future." he gasped.

The teacher smiled uncomprehending. "Excellent!"

Syaoran frowned, "I must go to Japan… it is an urgent matter concerning the Li-clan." he said commandingly. The teacher's eyebrows raised and he nodded, shaking a bit at the tone in which Syaoran had spoken to him.

"Is it bad?" the teacher asked meekly.

Syaoran nodded, hoping fervently that he would be able to get there in time…

----

"I can't handle her problems Eriol… for you see… I'm not really Tomoyo."

He had only seconds to react before he felt someone grab his shoulder from behind, a sensation that felt like his soul was being ripped violently from his being was the last thing he remembered before everything went black.

----

**I am _really_ mean to you guys. XD**

**rozu**


	10. A true magician never reveals a secret

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

AN: Writing style changes here, my uncle is helping me to become better! Comments and criticisms loved!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 10: A true magician never reveals a secret)

"Oh, I do hope he's alright..." muttered a worried female voice as it spoke to another girl nearby.

"I dunno Tomoyo... when they first brought him in here I had thought we were saved, but by the looks of him he's not going to be helping anyone anytime soon..." responded the chinese girl, returning her attention to her fruitless attempts at getting free from her chains.

Tomoyo sweat-dropped and shook her head, "Why do you continue to do that? Surely you can't think there's something you haven't tried to find a way out of those..." she muttered, but her words went unheeded as Meilin continued her struggling.

"...Ugh... where... am I?" groaned a young man as he slowly came to.

Tomoyo turned her right and stared at him tearfully, "Oh, Eriol... thank heavens..."

"It's about time you woke up. Geesh..." Meilin added from the far end of the wall.

The dark mage lifted his head slowly to stare at the two young women beside him. Uncomprehending the fact that they were both chained to the wall via shackles upon their wrists.

In fact, he did not feel at all like his usual self, an empty void floated where there was once a great power source deep within him. Vaguely he realized that he too, was shackled to the wall.

"Why were you asleep for so long Eriol-kun? When they brought us in they didn't bother knocking us out... but it appears they did quite a number on you." Tomoyo voiced her concerns, frowning softly. If Eriol hadn't been confused enough already, Tomoyo's apparent sincerity threw him further into his haze. After all, hadn't he just been arguing with her only moments before?

Eriol gave her a long curious gaze, wondering why she returned his stare with genuine concern and obliviousness. "Why..." he began, but Meilin interrupted him before he could finish asking his question.

"Tomoyo... now that he's awake, we might as well fill him in on what's been going on. It seems like even he had no idea something was up."

The violet-haired girl glanced at her friend a moment in surprise then nodded, "Yes, of course. Well, Eriol..." she began, turning to him, a forlorn expression on her face. "Do you remember back when that strange red-head appeared for the first time?"

Eriol nodded, listening closely, his eyes darting from one girl to the next.

"It turns out that she made friends with another evil dude, and together they figured out how to use their powers to disguise themselves as us!" Meilin explained, looking rather furious about this.

"What?" Eriol asked in surprise.

"They watched us and learned our mannerisms... the very first time Syaoran fought with Sakura... it was actually the man, Toro, acting like Syaoran and purposefully saying mean things to get them to start fighting with one another. Every time it seemed like they might be about to settle things one of them would pop in while either Sakura or Syaoran had gone from sight and say mean things to the other." Tomoyo began.

"Eventually they started to actually fight on their own... then the problem was getting rid of us. Tomoyo and I were getting in the way because we were trying to help get them back together. So we were replaced. Actually, only Tomoyo here was replaced, I was simply kidnapped." Meilin continued.

"They were experimenting, trying to find out what would weaken the card mistress enough for them to take her cards. It turned out that they had guessed right... by taking us away from Sakura-chan... they basically destroyed her." Tomoyo muttered sadly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Tomoyo watched most of it happen from right here... then she told me all about it when I arrived." Meilin explained.

Eriol mulled this over, wondering why he hadn't sensed anything amiss before now, and realizing for the first time just how watered-down his magic had become. For the first time in his life he'd been completely unaware of the danger lying in wait, or who was behind it. He'd been kept out of the loop... and all because he had been too afraid to face his own destiny to realize he needed his own power in order to continue to stay ahead of the game.

"If I had only tried to tap into my own power... most of this might have been avoidable..." Eriol replied glumly.

Tomoyo and Meilin exchanged confused looks, "... your own power?" they asked him.

Eriol sighed; "To make a long story short..." he quoted, causing the girls to grin slightly. "I've been using Clow's power for a long time... I have my own, but I've been too afraid to try and learn to use it." He explained shortly.

"Well, it's too late to be worrying about that now. We kinda hoped that the fact they brought you in here meant we'd probably be able to get out of here..." Meilin hinted, gazing hopefully at Eriol.

Eriol offered her a somber glance in return. "I'm sorry... but it appears they drained all of my magical energy from me." he replied.

----

(Tomoeda)

The curtain rose and a hush fell over the crowd as the opening scene began. Sakura almost missed her cue to join the chorus girls as she had be staring intensely at the crowd, trying to pick out anyone she knew. She sighed in relief as she spotted her father and Tomoyo's mother sitting nearby one another. Somehow it made her feel a little better to know that they hadn't turned against her like everyone else. It might have been ridiculous for her to worry about the people who loved her the most to turn on her... but due to what had been happening as of late she couldn't be sure of anything.

The play progressed onward, and Sakura found herself smiling as she entered the scene in which Eriol would first 'appear' to her through the mirror.

Sure enough there he was, all dressed up as the phantom she could hardly even recognize him. A secretive wink let her know that it was him, and with a grin the two of them continued on. He led her down into the den of his music and together they sang about darkness and magic, Sakura truly appreciating just how talented Eriol was. His voice was enchanting, as though he was actually casting a spell of perfection with every word that escaped his lips.

The play progressed on, Sakura found herself wrapped up within the role of Kristine, becoming torn between her childhood love Raoul and the strange angel of music who haunted her dreams and promised her that he could give her anything she desired, if only she'd be his and his alone.

----

(Portal)

Silence reigned for a while; even Meilin seemed to have given up hope after discovering that the dark mage Eriol had been stripped of all his powers.

_If they can do such a thing so easily to him... then what chance does Sakura have?_ She thought miserably. _And it's not as if they haven't already stolen all of her most powerful cards..._

"We're doomed..." she voiced at last.

Tomoyo gave her a disapproving glare. "We are _not_ doomed. Sakura will save us. I know she will." she replied defiantly.

Meilin returned the glare with one of her own. "And how is she supposed to do that exactly without any of her cards?" she returned.

"She's Sakura, she can do anything!" Tomoyo stubbornly argued.

Meilin shook her head and rolled her eyes in response, deciding that arguing with Daidouji was just about as useful as trying to escape from the shackles around her wrists.

Tomoyo triumphantly turned to Eriol to see if he had anything to add to the conversation. Her momentary enthusiasm died slightly when she noticed just how sickly he looked hanging there.

Eriol's skin tone was naturally pale, and despite that it had never before looked unhealthy in any way. Now as she gazed upon him her eyes could not believe what they were seeing. The youth and warmth was fading away, the skin itself perspiring and looking as though it could melt right off of his body. The usual bounce was gone from his hair... the midnight strands falling limply around his face, shading his features completely.

"Oh my goodness... Eriol... are you alright?" she called to him worriedly.

-----

(The Play)

They danced across the stage, elegant fans flying everywhere as they sang Masquerade. Then suddenly the party was ruined as the Phantom made his entrance; everyone shook as they observed the fury upon his features.

"So you thought I was done did you?" he laughed at them and then threatened innocent lives, giving his ultimatum that they would perform his play, and Kristine would be in the lead.

Kristine found herself becoming disgusted with him, couldn't he see she didn't want him anymore? Couldn't he just leave her be... he had claimed he only wanted her happiness... and now that she'd thought she'd found it with Raoul he was trying to destroy everything in a fit of jealous rage.

-----

(Portal)

Slowly the young man raised his head, the magic gleam gone from his eyes turning them a dark and stormy gray.

"It... would seem," he began, drawing his strength about him in order to properly answer her question. "that they did not only steal my magic from me."

Tomoyo's brow furrowed some more and she bit her lip. "What is it Eriol? What's wrong?"

"They... are using... the magic they stole from me. But... rather than sourcing it from their own power, as any good mage should do... they are using my energy to fuel it instead."

"But Eriol... I thought you said they took all of your magic?" Tomoyo replied, confused.

"Right... they are draining my life energy... to feed the magic." he explained as best he could.

"Your... life..." Tomoyo struggled for a moment, then gasped in realization. "But wait... does that mean... you're dying?!"

"Yes..." he replied softly.

"Those bastards!" Meilin shouted from her place on the wall.

"At the moment... they are only using a little bit of my energy... and so... I will be all right for a while, but who knows how much longer it will be before they release more of it, or even all of it. I... don't know what will happen."

"I thought... you just said you were dying?" Tomoyo asked as she found herself confused again.

"_I_ am dying... yes. But this form... is only half of who I am. The other half of me... resides within a part of the magic they stole." Eriol replied.

"That magic of yours you said you were too afraid to try and use?" Meilin asked for confirmation.

Eriol nodded, "There was a part of me... hidden away inside of myself to make room for Clow's magic and memories. My childhood self... and all of the power that I was born with... have slept for my entire life because they were not necessary. My destiny was to grow up and teach Sakura how to change the cards so that they would feed off of her power instead of Clow's. During that time however, that other self grew as well... I dreamt of him often. I never saw what he looked like... but we would have the most enlightening conversations about how when Clow's mission was finally finished we could finally be one again.

"For a long time I wanted nothing more than to be a whole person... the idea that there was a side of myself I didn't even know made me eager to finish my work. But fate does not work faster when you want it to. Even after Sakura had finished sealing off the cards Clow's power remained within me, restraining my other self. It angered him... and it depressed me, I began to feel as though my dreams of being whole at last were futile and ridiculous.

"Finally my visions of the future began to waver and become foggy. I could sense that Clow's power was at last recoiling from extended use, there would be no need for an old dead man's power in the future... I was so happy... that I imagined for a moment that the future was telling me I needed to be here at Sakura's side. But something else was nagging at me from behind my glee... something so dark and sinister that it frightened me because I could no longer define it.

"It has taken me until now to realize that the darkness I may have sensed may in fact be my other half. His anger has been bottled up for so long that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out he'd become evil." Eriol sighed at last; the long explanation had tired him greatly.

Tomoyo frowned. "Alright well... let's let Sakura worry about... whatever it is that your other half has become... right now you need to conserve your energy and rest. The longer you can hold out, the better chance you have of being rescued before you die."

Eriol nodded in agreement; glad for once that Tomoyo was so bright. Less explaining to do. He drooped his head and waited patiently for sleep to overcome him.

Despite her encouraging words however, Tomoyo felt even more uncertain now than before. Yes, she still believed Sakura would rescue her... but could she do it in time to save Eriol's life?

----

(Play)

Sakura and the cast stood up before the audience, smiling as the thunderous applause filled the small stadium. The cast bowed together then ushered themselves off of the stage.

Sakura met with Eriol afterwards behind the theater, dancing with her momentary happiness.

"Oh Eriol... that was great!" She grinned at him. He smiled back and watched her as she danced around.

"Well... this has been fun... but I'm afraid the time for fun and games is over." he muttered darkly, a devious grin spreading across his features.

Sakura paused and stared at him in confusion, not understanding. "What... are you talking about?" she asked curiously, shivering nervously at the dark grin he was giving her.

Dark smoke billowed upwards around Eriol's feet and surrounded him until she could no longer see him.

"Eriol!" she shouted in alarm, racing forward in order to 'save' him from the smoke. However when she had pulled him out, it was no longer Eriol that she was staring at.

Sakura fell backwards, her eyes wide as she stared upon a man she'd never seen before, his long black hair falling around his face. His sinister grin sent more shivers down her spine.

"Who... who are you? Where is Eriol?" she asked.

"Forgotten already have you? I'm the same man who tried to trap you in that maze not too long ago."

She blinked in surprise as she realized she recognized his voice and immediately she frowned, summoning her star staff. "What have you done with Eriol?" she demanded angrily, understanding now that he was an evil man.

"Why don't you follow me and find out." he retorted using his magic to teleport away.

She quickly summoned The Through and ordered it to make her a passageway to wherever the man had gone. Obediently it opened a dark hole out of thin air and she stepped through it, not even noticing that the card did not return to her.

After a few moments of wandering through darkness and shadows she found herself in another realm entirely. She gasped as she found she could see a tiny Tomoeda through the translucent floor. In fact, it seemed to her that the only constraint to this place was the floor, as she could not tell whether the reason she could see the stars in the night sky on all sides was because of translucent walls or no walls at all.

Then her eyes alighted upon certain proof that there was at least one wall in the vacinity. Three shadowed figures hanging about a football field's distance away from her. She strained her eyes against the darkness but could not make out who they were.

The sound of high-pitched laughter filled the area, Sakura shivered in fear, her star staff clenched tightly in both hands while she awaited the dark one's appearance.

Sure enough two figures manifested about a foot away from her. The woman with flame-red hair that had seemed so easy to defeat when they'd first crossed paths, and the black-haired man that she'd just met. They stood side-by-side and offered only devious grins in her direction.

Toro was the first to speak, "Welcome to our world cardmistress" he said darkly. Sakura's grip tightened further on her wand, and her face contorted with anger.

"What have you done with Eriol?" she demanded of the two, assuming a threatening stance.

The two merely laughed at her question, not bothering to take her seriously as they knew that she had very few cards left that she could use against them, and most of those were useless anyway.

Sakura's face reddened and she pulled out the Power, but before she could even cast it, it tore away from her, turning from pink to red right before her eyes, more red cards joined it, floating around the two as they used to do for her.

"Iie..." she breathed, her eyes tearing she realized that even more of her friends had been turned against her. Even as she began to cry, more of her cards escaped her possession and turned color.

_They've lost faith in me... my cards have lost faith in me..._ Sakura thought helplessly, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Look at how easily we've broken you... to think that you would even be here searching for that washed-up young mage... and to know that it was all our doing... makes me tingle with glee." Rika laughed.

Sakura glanced up at her in confusion, wondering what on earth the woman was talking about.

"Now, now Rika, don't go telling her everything. Have I taught you nothing?" Toro warned, causing the redhead to blush in embarrassment.

Sakura frowned, and glared at the two of them angrily, "You could at least explain what the hell is going on!"

"And why, praytell, should we do that?" Toro replied with a smile.

"Don't you think you owe me at least that much? Considering you refuse to return my friend to me, not to mention stealing my cards from me!" Sakura demanded of them shrilly.

"She has a point Toro..." Rika offered with a teasing smile.

The dark-haired man looked thoughtful for a moment then sighed. "Fine... I guess there's a few things I can tell her..." he said thoughtfully.

"It is the least we can do... right before we destroy her, permanently." Rika agreed, the words making Sakura cringe in fear as the two turned to her.

Toro snapped his fingers and the far wall was lit up well enough that Sakura could easily recognize the three figures.

"T-tomoyo...M-meilin... Eriol..." Sakura breathed in disbelief, sinking to her knees at last at the sight of these three chained up by their wrists.

Rika's red lips twisted upwards in satisfaction as she watched the girl collapse at the sight of her friends. The idea the foolish mage of the stars could be so easily beaten into submission was delightful.

Sakura's emerald eyes filled to the brim with tears as they slowly observed the violet haired girl who had been so mean to her as of late. No matter how much it still hurt that her best friend had turned on her, that feeling paled in comparison to the one she was feeling now over her friend's situation. Eventually she turned to stare at Meilin; her body shaking slightly with the tears she was fighting desperately to hold back.

Meilin... the girl it had taken Sakura forever to befriend... and yet in the end it had all been worthwhile because underneath the fiery, and often stubborn, exterior, she knew beat the heart of one with true courage and conviction. To see her hanging like that from those chains looking so defeated, it broke Sakura's heart into even smaller pieces.

Lastly... she turned to stare at Eriol, the one person who had stood by her side when everyone else had been turning on her. All the light of her world, fleeing to the far corners of oblivion... yet he had resisted the pull and shined for her when no one else would. Now... as he hung there, furthest to the right of the three, he looked as though he was barely even alive... his distinct aura of magic gone entirely, and even the natural light that even normal people had because they lived was flickering before her eyes.

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and broke down sobbing, her body shaking violently as she cried.

As it seemed her attention was diverted from them, Toro and Rika decided that it was time to snuff out the card mistress once and for all. Together they summoned the cards forth from their seals, each of them hovering around Sakura with red aura's emanating from them.

"Now card mistress... it is time to meet your doom!"

----

**Ok, you have to admit... this chapter is rather long... I had to cut it somewhere!**

**-ducks the flying tomatoes and bricks-**

**rozu**


	11. Fading star, blazing light

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :( Oh, and I don't own Phantom of the Opera either.

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

AN: Sorry it took so long to update, was being annoying.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chapter 11: Fading star, blazing light)

"Now card mistress... it is time to meet your doom!"

The cards came at her all at once. Sakura had barely enough time to react, throwing herself out of the way as blasts of magic came at her.

She twisted and turned, thankfull that she was a cheerleader as her gymnastic skills found themselves being put to the ultimate test. She twirled her staff between her fingers faster than the eye could see, using it effectively as a shield to deflect the myriad of bullets and arrows throwing themselves at her at the same time as ducking and hopping over torrents of wind, water, and flame.

She barely managed to keep herself from breaking her neck as the spirits of the earth and lightning did their best to throw off her footing as she weaved through the barrage of attacks.

As she did her best to avoid death Sakura's mind wandered. How could she fight off so many of her most powerful cards all at once? It had been hard enough to defeat them one-at-a-time, and she honestly didn't know how many of the cards had chosen to stick with her despite her rapid spiral towards oblivion.

But... could she give up? Could she honestly not give this fight her best like every fight before in the past? Didn't her friends deserve at least that much if not more from her!

_I can't afford to be weak at a time like this! Everyone is counting on me!_ Sakura thought fiercely, turning in place, as she twirled her staff to a halt, drawing out the only card she could think of that might help her at a time like this.

Rika and Toro stared in shock as Sakura brought forth the card, striking her staff against it as she called it into being.

"Hope!"

A bright and beautiful light shined from it's core, reflecting the strength of Sakura's will to save her friends in its depths. From the light stepped forward the young spirit of the Hope, her long ivory hair flowing like an infinite stream down her back. Two long angel's feathers sprouted upwards from her hair, tied to the jeweled headband that she wore upon her brow. Her dress was also ivory in color, and resembled an old ball gown in its many layers and billowing skirts. Eyes as blue as the heavens smiled upon the myriad of cards that she faced, her only weapon a heart-shaped pillow that she held tightly within her grasp.

"What's the matter with all of you?" she demanded of the other cards. Many of them bent their heads in shame, diverting their eyes from her brilliant light.

"She's swaying them back to her side!" Rika whispered in fear to Toro as she watched some of the aura's start to flicker from red back to pink.

"Then let's draw forth our ultimate weapon..." He sneered, pulling out the only card in their collection that was black instead of red.

Rika grinned in agreement and released the strange card using the magic that they'd stolen earlier from the dark-haired boy.

It sparked in their hands, burning them slightly. "Ow... hey, why'd it do that?" Rika asked.

Toro smiled, "This card is not truly a card... but rather a spirit that we sealed from within that boy... and clearly it can't wait to escape..."

Rika cackled, "I wonder what kind of power it will hold..."

Dark energy surged forth from the card, the seal breaking instantly. Rika and Toro exchanged mildly worried glances, wondering just what exactly they'd released.

Tendrils of shadow flowed upwards until they formed into a solid being. Two body-length sized midnight-blue dragon wings temporarily hid the creature that was forming within their protective circle. After a few moments, the wings spread outward, revealing the human-like spirit within. The man had long midnight-blue hair that flowed all the way down to his mid-back. His eyes were more alien in shape, being two overly large almond shaped sapphire gems that radiated with pure evil. Beneath his eyes, a pair of black, half-circle, tattoos shone forth clearly from his pale skin. He wore an open black leather jacket and a matching pair of pants, his pale chest remained unclothed revealing that it was covered in black flame tattoos.

He stretched out his clawed hand, a dark power radiating forward and changing all of the pink cards back to red. Sakura turned her attention to him in surprise, then directed the Hope towards him.

He merely laughed as the spirit gazed at him, and Sakura watched helplessly as the Hope lost her shine, the heart-shaped pillow vanishing from her grasp. She collapsed in mid-air and he held out his claws, her power spiraling into them before forming her back into a card... a red card.

"No!" Sakura cried in anguish. "Why?" She demanded of the newcomer, furiously. "Why did you take the Hope away from me?"

"Consider it payback." replied the surprisingly familiar voice of the being before her.

Sakura blinked in disbelief, "W-who are you?" She asked weakly, though she suspected she already knew the answer.

The sapphire eyes flashed darkly, a fiendish smile playing upon the man's features, "Why Sakura... I'm insulted. You of all people should recognize me."

There was no further question in her mind, his voice... that hair. Though he was clearly a demon, there was no mistaking Eriol's powerful magic aura.

She turned from him to the recognizable Eriol in the background then back to him, trying desperately to figure out how it could be that there was two of him.

"Oh, how thoughtless of me, I forgot that though you know my other half... you never had the chance to meet me." He stretched out his claws towards her and tendrils of black energy flew out and bound her tightly. He raised his hands, and in turn Sakura was lifted upwards from the ground. She struggled weakly, but what little light of hope there was left within her was slowly fading away.

"Because of you... I was forced to spend my life on a dark and lonely plane. Trapped there by a magical barrier so that there was no way I would ever escape my prison. I never got the chance to live... I, the true Eriol Hiiragizawa!" he announced.

Sakura's eyes went wide in shock and disbelief. This thing was claiming that it was the real Eriol?! "You lie! Eriol is over there, hanging from those chains!" She insisted, struggling within her confines.

"That _thing_ is only half of me. The part that is my appearance. The person you know as Eriol is actually just a puppet filled with Clow's power and memories. The only thing we two share is our mind. I know everything he knows, and he knows everything I know. The difference is, of course, he chose to do as he was told and help you and be kind to you when the future showed us its secrets. But if it had been me making the choices, you would have been destroyed long ago!" Eriol's spirit explained.

"Why Eriol...? Why would you want to do this to me?" She asked the spirit, her entire body shaking as she accepted what he said. But... if he was truly Eriol and knew everything Eriol knew... then why...

"Oh please Sakura, Eriol never actually liked you. He would have needed my consent for that. It was entirely his imagination that he felt anything for you at all... or even more likely that it was his body's natural reaction to your womanly figure." he sneered.

"He... never..." She repeated weakly, her light of hope dwindling down even further.

"Now... suffer as I have card mistress!" He shouted darkly as he poured dark energy into her.

She screamed in pain, her body stiffening as the barrage of energy tore away at her. At last the final light disappeared, and Sakura slipped into unconciousness, hanging like a limp doll within the grasp of the energy.

Grinning darkly, the spirit threw her down onto the floor, then drew to him the power of the Sword, it's energy extending from his outstretched claws until it had fully formed in his grasp.

"Now... to finish you..." he muttered, raising the weapon and aiming to strike Sakura directly in the chest.

In the background a near-silent clap of thunder was the only warning given before the spirit's claw was sliced clean off by a bolt of golden lightning.

Screaming in pain he clutched his severed claw, turning towards the newcomer with a look of pure venom in his sapphire eyes.

Standing not far away was a familiar young brunet, his shoulders heaving gently as though he'd been running. His bangs shadowed his face making him look heroic and mysterious. Pointing directly at the spirit from the young man's right hand was the five force sword, its gleaming silver blade sparking softly from recently used magic.

"You!" Eriol's spirit growled, dark energy swirling forth to reform his severed claw. "What are you doing here?" he demanded of the brunet.

"My duty as the head of the Li clan." came the reply as the brunet assumed a fighting stance, sword arched high over his shoulder while his other hand pointed forward as though calling for the spirit to make the first move.

"Oh, got promoted did you Syaoran? Well I doubt highly that a new title will help you much here." The spirit sneered.

Syaoran merely smiled, "I guess we're about to find out." He replied.

"I wonder though, why you truly came back." The spirit asked curiously, gesturing to the comatose Sakura. "After all, the only reason I can think of is lying there practically dead. And even if she were alive she'd probably tell you to get lost. She's in love with me now... or at least my other half." Eriol's spirit taunted, enjoying the way Syaoran's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment and distaste.

Syaoran collected himself, his frown deepening. "I am here because the card mistress is in danger. My feelings toward her are inconsequential. Especially since I lost all rights to her when I left here."

Sakura's eyes fluttered as the two argued, her strength slowly returning to her aching limbs, but her light was still extinguished, no desire to continue to live could be seen in her empty green eyes. They sat in their sockets, relaying whatever it was that passed across what they could see, until they alighted upon the person arguing with Eriol's spirit.

A pang of familiarity struck the girl's heart. She... she knew this person. Who was he?

Syaoran relaxed slightly, looking down at his feet. "I will not deny that I left here, a foolish boy. I lost everything that was important to me, all by my own rash decisions. I do not deserve happiness because of this... however, regardless, I must stop you from destroying the only hope this world has." Syaoran stood tall, lifting his sword to point it directly at the spirit's heart.

_Important... he's lost... something important..._ Sakura thought idly as she watched, trying to focus her attention upon the brunet.

Eriol's spirit laughed, his dragon wings shivering with his mirth. "And you think that you can stop me? Ha! You couldn't even defeat my _pathetic_ other half!"

Syaoran's brown eyes flashed with a passion that stopped the spirit's laughter cold. "Let's get this over with."

"You are still too keen to rush headfirst into battle aren't you?" The spirit taunted, drawing his power to summon all of the cards to his side.

Moments later Syaoran found himself in the midst of a war zone.

Emerald eyes watched as the brunet expertly maneuvered through the barrage of different energies being thrown at him on all sides. Clash upon clash of magic could be heard for miles, even down on the streets of Tomoeda people took notice of the sounds of battle, though they merely assumed that it was actually thunder, and that there would be a storm coming soon.

Amazingly, he never once lost his step, bringing down one card at a time until all of them lay in exhaustion at his feet and he alone remained, the blade of his weapon resting upon the dark spirit's throat.

"I-impossible." the spirit stammered weakly.

Syaoran grinned in response.

The spirit's eyes narrowed, "Fine then... kill me if it will make you happy. But if you kill me you shall also be killing the man that you're little friend over there loves. Now, I know Sakura is forgiving, she may even become your friend again in time... but if you kill me, then she will hate you for the rest of your life."

The words stilled Syaoran's hand, though he had said he had come only to keep the card mistress safe, truthfully he had hoped with all of his heart that somehow he would be able to get Sakura to become his again. She'd never be his if she hated him for killing Eriol. No matter how much Syaoran hated to admit it, the spirit had finally found a weak point.

A grin spread over the dark one's features and he raised up a claw, knocking the sword from Syaoran's slackened grip. "I knew it... you do still care for her. What a fool!" He laughed, trapping Syaoran in dark energy, much in the same way he'd done it to Sakura only moments before.

_He... still cares..._ Hope stirred weakly inside of the girl's heart, her eyes regaining some of their gleam as she finally understood what she was seeing in front of her.

_Syaoran! He... he came back for me!_ She thought, tears coming to her eyes as she heard his cries of pain.

"No... no more..." She whispered, slowly drawing herself to her feet.

"NO MORE!" She shouted angrilly, white light blazing forth from her being. When the light had dimmed, Eriol's spirit lay momentarily stunned upon the transparent floor and Syaoran kneeled on the ground, staring at her with an expression that stole her breath away.

"You came back for me." she cried, tears running down her cheeks.

He merely smiled in return, "Of course I did."

She ran into his arms, burying her face in his shirt and letting all of her sorrow out onto his strong shoulders. He held her close, lending her all of his strength.

"Oh, Syaoran... it's horrible... after you left... everyone was so mean... and Eriol was the only one who cared. And now he's dying back there... and there's nothing I can do..." Sakura sobbed, her entire body shaking.

"There is always something you can do Sakura."

"No! I've failed... I've truly... truly failed."

"Don't be silly... there has never been a time before in the past when you have failed when brought up against such a task. Don't you remember the final judgement? How you used the Windy against Yue even though it was under his power and defeated him because you didn't want to forget all of your new friends? Or how about the time that you had to seal both the light and the dark card under your power and you had to borrow everyone's magic to do it, but you got it done. And lastly, that time when the Void was released from beneath Eriol's mansion... and found a way to seal it as the Hope, without it managing to steal the most important feeling from me, despite the fact that it should have done so." Syaoran reminded gently, pushing her off of him gently so that he could look into her eyes. She found herself recieving a kind, and trusting smile from the one person she knew she needed it from the most.

"There will never be anyone who will ever be able to do the things you have done, in the way that you have done them. You are the only one who can save the world Sakura. I know you can do it." he said confidently.

Sakura's eyes gleamed as she at last smiled her thanks to him, then rose to her feet, star staff in both hands. "Syaoran... will you help me?" She asked him.

Syaoran rose behind her, sliding his arms around her waist so that he could properly grasp it. With a bright smile she concentrated all of her might, the simple five-pointed star changed into it's more complex form and the staff grew large, the small wings on the top of the staff arching outward with their combined power. A single red card, unused by Eriol's spirit, floated upward in response to the flow of power, changing instantly back to pink.

"Hope... please help me..." Sakura asked as she poured the combined magic into the card. Once more the young maiden stepped forth from her confines. With arms outstretched she beconed all of the lost cards to come back to their true owner, and sure enough one by one the spirits on the ground returned to their card-forms, glowing from red to pink and floating upwards to dance in a circle around the two.

Lastly the ivory-haired girl turned to the spirit, who shaded his eyes from her bright light, crying out in anguish before he vanished completely, leaving only whisps of shadows where he once stood.

Rika and Toro decided unanimously that now would not be a great time to get slaughtered and made to teleport away, but found that their powers were being blocked by something. Turning in fear they watched as sparkles of white light floated over their heads, entering the body of the young man who was near death upon the wall. Almost at once the spring came back into his body, and he lifted his head, his dark eyes shining with their new power. He brought up his wrists and the shackles exploded, allowing him to land gracefully on his feet at last.

"Going somewhere?" he asked conversationally, ropes of light revealing themselves around the two. Turning to Tomoyo and Meilin, who both were currently staring at Eriol in shock, he waved his hand and their shackles too disappeared. Meilin managed to land on the floor without any trouble as well, though once she got there she began rubbing her wrists. Tomoyo, however, stumbled immediately upon the impact of her feet against the floor, not being as used to such things as her friends. Eriol wasted no time in stepping over and catching her in his arms before she hit the floor.

"A-arigato..." she murmered, blushing softly.

He smiled and nodded, "Not at all."

Sakura and Syaoran broke apart at last, seeing that everything was taken care of. The staff resumed its natural form and Sakura turned to smile at Syaoran, only to find him slowly walking away.

"Syaoran-kun!" She shouted in anguish, racing towards him. In the darkness a pair of ocean-blue eyes watched sadly as Sakura chased after the brunet.

"You alright Eriol?" Tomoyo asked curiously as she noted the expression on his face.

He managed a soft smile as he turned to her, "I will be..."

Sakura finally managed to catch the brunet, clutching on to his arm so that she could keep him from escaping.

"You're not going to leave me again are you?" She demanded of him, causing him to turn around and face her. His face was a careful mask, revealing nothing to her.

"My work here is done... I must go home now. Besides, you have Eriol now... I wouldn't want to spoil that for you." He responded.

"Shouldn't you leave that up to her Syaoran?" Asked the mage in question as he sauntered up to them, Meilin and Tomoyo following behind.

Syaoran stared at Eriol. Intense brown eyes met soft ocean-blue. For a while there was silence between the two young adults until at last Syaoran pulled away from Sakura, drawing his sword and pointing it at Eriol.

"I would like... to ask you for a rematch Eriol. I realize I do not deserve such a chance... but..."

"It is useless to ask me such a thing Syaoran." Eriol interrupted, causing Sakura to turn to him. Her tear-filled emerald eyes telling him all that he needed to know.

"But Eriol...!"

Once again the brunet was silenced, this time by a simple wave of Eriol's hand. Fustrated, the brunet used his own magic to undo the spell. But it was a long enough pause to allow Eriol to say what was on his mind.

"There is no need for us to have a rematch Syaoran." Eriol explained. "You have done quite enough to prove that you are indeed the 'better man' as you put it."

Syaoran was stunned into silence, patiently waiting now to hear the rest of what his long-time rival had to say to him.

Eriol sighed, running a hand through his long dark hair. "Everyone makes mistakes Syaoran... the differences between them lie in how they choose to live based on those mistakes. You, Syaoran, were scared to death that you were loosing everything important to you, and you ran from your fear so that you would not have to face it. However... in the end you returned and faced your fear, despite knowing that once you conquered your fear there would only be more obstacles to overcome because of the mistake you made. In the end... Syaoran... your heart turned out to be far stronger than you gave it credit for... and because you faced your fear, you will grow and learn from this experience. And, perhaps... never make the same mistake again." Eriol smiled, and Syaoran realized that his smile, was rather similar to that of a father who might smile on their child for doing something properly.

_He... he's proud of me?_ Syaoran wondered thoughtfully.

Eriol turned to Sakura, whose expression had turned from sorrow to part joy, part guilt. He smiled and kneeled beside her taking one of her hands in his. Syaoran watched curiously, for the first time in his life he was watching Eriol be in such a proximity to Sakura without feeling the familiar urge of intense jealousy.

"Sakura-chan... please don't feel guilty that you still have feelings for Syaoran. He's a good man... he will take good care of you." Eriol said smiling.

"But... Eriol..." She stammered, blushing softly with embarrassment.

He shook his head, "You never really cared for me, Sakura... I was only a temporary replacement. I knew... that this was going to happen... and I accepted it long ago. You belong with him Sakura-chan."

Syaoran swallowed back his genuine astonishment, Eriol was... just going to hand her over? There was truly no end to the surprises when things involved the dark mage...

Eriol now turned so that he was facing them both. "Promise me one thing will you? Promise that the two of you will never ever loose faith in one another again... no matter what happens. A situation like this one calls upon the patience and faith of those in a relationship like yours. I am certain that things will not always be perfect, but in the end... you will always have each other to turn to... and together your power is stronger than any other force in the universe."

They turned to each other, and then to him. Sakura was the first to speak, smiling now at Eriol. "Of course... I promise."

Eriol turned to Syaoran, and they stared at each other for another long moment before finally Syaoran nodded. "I promise." He said.

Eriol rose back onto his feet, smiled proudly at them, then turned to walk away.

"Wait! Eriol... what will you do now?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

He paused a moment and turned to smile at Tomoyo. "I suppose it's high time I learned how to use my own magic."

She smiled and nodded, "Good luck."

"Arigato." He said, then he waved one last time and vanished into thin air.

----

**rozu**


	12. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I love CCS... but I don't own it. :(

---- A change in writing style/time/place/whatever (will notate in () which one if necessary)

Rating: T - for language

Summary: A new enemy is trying to break Sakura's spirit in order to weaken her enough to steal her cards from her. Everyone around her seems to be turning cruel... and the only solace she can find is in the arms of a man who doesn't want her.

Pairings: Syaoran/Sakura, Sakura/Eriol

AN: Writer's block is no fun.

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(Chapter 12: Epilogue)

**Two years later**

The summer sun shone brightly upon a large gathering of friends and family members down below. Light pink petals spiraled downward in an elegant dance as they seemed catch on to the energy given off by the happy smiles and celebratory air. And in the midst of everything an auburn haired young woman stood, dressed in the finest of wedding dresses that had ever been seen in Tomoeda. Designed of course, by her best friend and matron of honor, Tomoyo Daidouji.

Sakura smiled fondly at everyone in turn. Cheerily thanking them all for their prayers and gifts. Even her elder brother had behaved himself for her sake, and currently stood near the table bearing the gifts, chatting with several of her old classmates.

After a while she found a way to excuse herself from the mob of people all wishing her well and found herself standing alone upon the bridge that faced the grassy plain where a mansion had once stood.

A gentle breeze blew through her hair as she gazed upon the vacant spot, her fingers curling around the railing of the bridge as a single tear escaped her, trailing slowly down her cheek.

_He didn't come..._ She thought sadly staring off into the distance.

Nearby a silent shadow disappeared, its presence gone unnoticed by the powerful young woman.

----

Syaoran was searching through the crowd; absently thanking everyone that wished him well as he passed by them. After a while he found himself near Sakura's older brother. The two men stared at each other, neither saying a word. Syaoran no longer feared the elder man's harsh gaze, knowing in his heart that all of this time Touya had only been trying to keep his precious sister safe from harm. Touya, for his part, understood what he found within the depths of Syaoran's dark brown eyes. Promises, backed by the power of an indestructible will that he could no longer argue with. For the first time since they'd met, Touya smiled, if only briefly, at the young brunet, knowing in his heart that the younger man would take good care of Sakura.

Neither of them spoke, nor did they need to, as they settled their differences once and for all Yukito could only smile at them, proud of his lover for settling the score at last.

"Hey Syaoran-kun... where is Sakura-chan?" Yukito asked, his bright and cheery voice at last breaking the silence between the two men.

The brunet turned to glance at Yukito, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure... let me know if you see her ok?" Syaoran managed a smile and then returned to working his way through the crowd leaving the two to stare after him.

At last Syaoran found himself at the edge of the crowd, off in the distance he spotted the familiar white gown that his love was wearing. Eagerly, he began heading toward it, but paused in mid-step, sensing that something wasn't quite right. His hand itched towards his sword, brown eyes surveying the scenery.

"You can relax Syaoran, it's just me." Came a familiar voice.

Surprise found it's way onto the Chinese man's features as the familiar dark-haired mage came into view. Syaoran found himself wondering if 'mage' was really a proper description of the man anymore. In any case he relaxed, staring wonderingly at the man who had helped him so much, despite his attempts at sabotaging himself.

"Eriol..." Syaoran muttered, finding himself at a loss for something to say to the Englishman.

Eriol brought a pale finger up to his lips and smiled. "I will not be here for long, I merely came to wish you and Sakura the greatest happiness."

Syaoran nodded, "Thank you... did you speak to Sakura already?"

Eriol shook his head, frowning softly, "I don't think that's such a good idea. On your wedding day she should not be so clouded with worries of me. But perhaps you can mention to her that I did come after all." he said, his smile returning.

Syaoran was uncertain as to whether or not he should argue with the man and insist he tell Sakura himself. In the past the two had been rivals, and until now Syaoran had thought the envy had been mutual. But now that everything had worked out this way he could see clearly that the 'competition' had been all in his mind to begin with. Despite everything Sakura had chosen him, and he would always be better than Eriol in at least that.

"Take care of yourself." Syaoran said at last.

"I will." Eriol replied. Then with a flash of wind a familiar pair of dragon wings appeared on his back and with a wink he took off into the sky, leaving Syaoran to stare after him in astonishment.

"Show-off..." He muttered to himself, though he found himself grinning in Eriol's wake. Then his attention turned to the beautiful young woman on the bridge that was his, now and forever.

He walked up to her stealthily, his warm radiance alerting her to his presence long before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek gently, his quiet strength dissipating all of her silly fears. She turned in his arms and kissed him lovingly, her thoughts of Eriol forgotten. Floating away gently on the warm summer wind.

----

**And they all lived happily ever after...**

_**Random reviewer #1:**__ Hey wait a minute... what about Eriol? You're not just going to leave him like that, are you?!_

**Rozu: Hush, if you behave I may even write a sequel.**

_**Random reviewer #1:**__ ... Yes ma'am. _

**THE END**


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